Taste 2021 edition, p.33
Taste: 2021 Edition, page 33
But he was.
He’d already removed his suitcoat when we arrived, and now he loosened his tie and removed it, unbuttoning the first two buttons of his shirt.
“Get comfortable, Lace.”
My skin prickled, sending a racing tingle down my spine and straight to my pussy. Get comfortable. Comfortable would mean out of my work clothes. I stood and headed into the bathroom. Sure enough, a robe hung on the inside of the door. I quickly stripped and covered myself with the lush white robe. Then I pulled my hair out of its French roll, fluffed it with my fingers, and went back out.
Rock’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. “Wow.”
“You said get comfortable.”
“I did, didn’t I?” He smiled as he removed his shirt. He stood wearing only his suit trousers, and the bulge inside them was very apparent.
I couldn’t help a smile. “Our dinner will get cold.”
“It’s probably already cold. Take off that robe.”
I obeyed, untying it and letting it slip over my shoulders before it fell to the floor.
He stared at me, and his gaze hardened my nipples. They stuck out like ripe berries, yearning for his touch. Meanwhile, I throbbed between my legs.
“I can see why you want to visit a nude beach,” he said. “You seem very comfortable naked.”
My body wasn’t nearly as beautiful as I imagined Nieves’s to be, but right now, the way he was looking at me, I felt like Helen of Troy herself.
He slid one lone finger over the apple of my cheek, down my neck, and over my shoulder. “So beautiful.”
I reached forward and touched his shoulder as well. “You are too.”
He smiled. “No one’s called me that before.”
“Beautiful? Then anyone who’s seen that chest is blind. It’s beautiful. You are beautiful, Rock Wolfe.”
“God, Lace.” He grabbed me and smashed our mouths together.
I opened, letting him in, surrendering to the passion of his kiss, the raw need in his groan as he devoured my mouth.
He tasted of the crisp bourbon he’d drunk at the restaurant. Bourbon and spice and the unique flavor that was Rock Wolfe.
Our tongues tangled and dueled, our moans answered each other. His cock poked into my belly, and I reached down to cup the hard bulge.
I wanted him.
Not just his body but all of him.
All of Rock Wolfe.
I knew next to nothing about this man, but emotion bubbled in me—emotion that was foreign to me.
Love.
I was falling in love.
God, I was headed for heartbreak. This man was a closed book. He shared his body with me but nothing else. How could I love him? It made no sense, but love him I did. I knew it as I knew the most basic tenets of life.
I love you, Rock Wolfe.
How I longed to break the kiss, panting, and admit those feelings. Fear, though, prevented that. Fear of rejection. He wouldn’t say it back. He didn’t feel it. If we didn’t have a relationship, he certainly wasn’t falling in love.
Could I do this? Could I spend the weekend with a man who wanted me but would never give me his heart?
As he continued to kiss me with such force and passion, I realized I already knew the answer.
Yes.
Yes, I could.
When this ended—and it inevitably would—I’d be devastated.
But until then, I’d enjoy what I could have of Rock Wolfe. His body. His attention. His warm mouth on mine.
He pushed his cock into my belly and his leg between mine. I ground into his hard thigh, my clit pounding in time with my rapid heartbeat.
He broke the kiss, and we both inhaled heavily.
“Damn, Lace. I could kiss you forever.”
I shivered, my nipples hard and aching. He was caught up in the moment. That was all. He didn’t mean he literally wanted to kiss me forever.
How I wished it were true, though! How I wished he could love me.
Before I could think much more, he turned me around, yanked the robe off me, freed his cock, and pushed it into me.
This was how he’d taken me that first day in my office. Hard and fast and from behind. I’d been slick as aloe then, and I’d bet I was even wetter now. I couldn’t get enough of Rock, of his raw maleness, of his massive cock.
“You’re so tight, baby. So fucking tight. You’ve got the sweetest pussy on earth.”
His words made me hotter. They weren’t the words I longed to hear, but they spurred me on anyway, and soon I was jumping into orgasm.
“Rock!” I pushed backward, trying to force him farther and farther into me, so deep into me that we became one.
“That’s it, baby. Come all over my hard cock. Come all over me.” He plunged into me again and again.
Again and again and again.
Until he jammed into me one last time, groaning. “Lacey, my God!”
When I pulled out after he finished, I held back the whimper that threatened. I pasted a smile on my face and turned to face him. “Hungry? We’d better eat before the food gets any colder.”
“Hungry for you, baby.”
I let out a little laugh that was supposed to sound nonchalant but instead sounded forced. “There’s plenty of time for that. Let’s eat.”
“You okay?”
“Fine. I’m fine.” And I was. Sort of. He hadn’t promised me anything past this weekend.
I was okay with that.
I had to be.
39
Rock
No one had heard from my sister since she left dinner that night with Lacey and me. When Reid mentioned it at work the next morning, my skin went cold.
“Let’s find her then,” I said to him. “We’ve got Daddy’s resources. Put the best PIs on her tail.”
“Already done,” Reid said. “I called it in this morning. Nothing so far.”
I nodded, my heart racing. I loved my little sister. Protecting her was what had sent my life down the shithole. I’d do it again, though. I only wished I’d been more successful the first time.
I wouldn’t fail my baby sister again.
“I was planning to go to Montana for the weekend,” I said, “but I’ll cancel. Riley’s more important.”
“No need to do that,” Reid said. “There’s nothing either of us can do. We’ve got the best people on it.”
“We need to be on it.”
“I get it, Rock. She’s my little sister too. But we’re doing all we can. Go on your trip. You need to pack all your stuff up and ship it back here anyway.”
He was right about that, though packing wasn’t what this weekend was about. This weekend was about taking Lacey on a ride she’d never forget, no pun intended.
But my sister trumped that.
“I don’t feel right going away right now. We need to find her.”
“We will, but you have to understand.” He paused a moment. “This isn’t the first time Riley has taken off.”
I lifted my eyebrows. “It’s not?”
He shook his head. “The third time, actually, and when she goes, she doesn’t want to be found. She’s an adult, Rock. An adult with…issues.”
Issues? Of course she had issues. Our esteemed father had violated her for God knew how long. Did Reid seriously not know that had happened?
“Then we should get her help,” I said.
“We’ve tried. Dad tried while he was alive.”
“Dad? Dad’s the reason she’s fucked up!”
“I know he wasn’t the most attentive father in the world, but—”
“Attentive? He was a little too attentive to Riley.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Oh my God. You really don’t know. Did you and Roy just close your eyes to everything going on in that godforsaken house?”
“You’re one to talk. You weren’t even there once you turned fourteen. Roy and I kept to ourselves. We sure as hell didn’t want to be shipped off to military school.”
Man. My brothers didn’t have a clue. “Military school wasn’t my choice.”
“Of course it wasn’t. You were a pain in the ass, Rock. Mom and Dad couldn’t handle you.”
“That’s what they told you, huh?”
“It wasn’t hard to believe. You were…”
“I was what, Reid? How much do you even remember? You were nine when I left, and Roy was eleven. Roy spent all his time in his room anyway. What exactly do you remember about how I acted before I left?”
“You were…you know. Boisterous.”
“So were you, as I recall.”
“You came in late. You missed curfew.”
“Uh-huh. It might surprise you to know that most kids don’t get sent to military school for missing curfew.”
“I guess… I guess I was too young to remember.”
“Exactly. And Roy doesn’t remember because he didn’t pay much attention to the rest of us. What exactly did Mom and Dad tell you about why I was sent away?”
“They said you were caught stealing, and that…”
I resisted the urge to grab my brother’s shoulders and shake him. “That what?”
“You got into a fight and nearly killed another guy. With a knife.”
I curled my hands into fists. “Those assholes.”
“You’re saying you didn’t pull a knife on someone?”
“I’m saying I never did what they told you I did.”
“They lied?”
“Hard to believe, isn’t it?” I scoffed sarcastically.
“I know Dad was no saint, but—”
“Dad was an evil piece of shit,” I said.
“Why did they send you away, then?” Reid asked.
“That’s not my story to tell,” I said.
“Whose is it, then?”
I didn’t respond. Instead, “Suffice it to say that while you and Roy got pampered at prep school, I got the shit kicked out of me by wannabe heroes who liked to pummel the students to make themselves feel better for being military school failures.”
That was the first year. After that, I took part in the pummeling. Not my finest moments.
“First of all, we weren’t exactly pampered. Roy had it especially hard. He was a huge target for bullies.”
“A Wolfe heir was a target at a fine prep school?”
“You really think being a Wolfe meant anything there? They were all from powerful families. The first-year hazing was brutal.”
I shook my head. I could tell him horror stories about hazing at military school, but I didn’t particularly want to relive it at the moment.
“But I’m sor—”
I held up a hand. “Don’t. Just don’t. It’s over, and I try not to think about it.”
Reid nodded. “I get it. I do. Don’t worry about Riley. She’ll turn up when she’s ready. I hate to see her fuck up her career like this, though.”
“Yeah, I do too.” I sighed. “I still think we should look for her.”
“We’re using our resources in the best way,” my brother said. “If these PIs can’t find her, she doesn’t want to be found. Go ahead on your trip. There’s nothing else we can do here. I wish there were, but there isn’t.”
I nodded. I still felt shitty about leaving, but the reality was that I hadn’t had a clue the two other times my baby sister had gone missing. I’d divorced myself from this family long ago—something I deeply regretted now. I had reason to hate my parents, but my brothers and sister had done nothing wrong.
I owed them my loyalty. I’d go to Montana with Lacey as I’d promised.
Then I’d leave my beautiful home behind for the last time.
40
Lacey
The Wolfe private jet was even more luxurious than I’d imagined.
And yes, there was a bed.
Rock, though, was oddly distant. He hadn’t mentioned the bed, or joining the mile high club, which, from the little I knew about him, seemed out of character.
I sipped Champagne from a crystal flute and ate strawberries dipped in chocolate.
Rock sat next to me, his drink sitting on the table in front of us, and he hadn’t touched the fruit.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m good. Just a lot on my mind.”
“Anything I can help with?”
He smiled. “No. I want to have a nice weekend with you.”
“I’d like that too.” I returned his smile and took another sip of Champagne. “This is delicious.”
“Only the best for the Wolfes,” he said, a little sardonically.
The attendant walked toward us. “Mr. Wolfe, the pilot says we’re going to start our descent soon, so you’ll need to fasten your seatbelts. I’ll clear away these dishes.”
Rock nodded. “Thank you.”
I clicked my seatbelt closed.
Montana, here I come.
One limo ride later, we arrived at Rock’s secluded cabin. It was small and cozy, and I loved it immediately.
“Make yourself at home,” he said. “I’m going to take your suitcase into the bedroom.”
“Thanks.”
Yes, he was definitely off. I still knew so little about him, so I didn’t feel comfortable pushing it. The living area was furnished with a leather sofa and two recliners flanking an oak coffee table. The fireplace was huge, and the mantle above it was made of white granite.
“Too bad we can’t have a fire,” Rock said.
“Probably not in spring.” I smiled.
“Would you like anything? A drink? Something to eat?”
“No. I’m good for now. I think I’ll change, though. Get out of these work clothes.”
“Help yourself.” He pointed toward the room where he’d taken my things.
I left, and he made no move to follow me. Again, odd. Was he sorry he’d brought me? I doubted it. This was Rock Wolfe. If he’d wanted to bail, he would have.
If only I didn’t love him. This was starting to hurt a little.
I changed into some loose jeans and a tank top and walked barefoot back out to the living room. Rock had poured himself a drink and was sitting on the couch. I sat down next to him.
“Everything okay?” I said, and then wanted to take back the words. The last thing I wanted to be was a nag.
“Fine. Just a rough day. I’m worried about Riley.”
I placed my hand over his. “I’m sorry. Is she still missing?”
He lifted his brow. “You know?”
Uh-oh. He didn’t sound pleased.
“Yeah. I guess I just assumed you knew, and I didn’t think it was any of my business.”
The spark of anger in him dissipated, and I silently thanked the universe.
“We’ve got PIs looking for her, but according to my brother, this isn’t the first time she’s gone AWOL.”
“It isn’t?” Her Paris trip crossed my mind briefly. Was she really going to walk out on Dominique Cosmetics?
He shook his head. “Apparently she’s struggling. And I haven’t been here. I feel helpless right now, Lacey. This is my little sister. How could I have stayed gone all those years?”
I caressed his forearm, wanting to go further but not sure what to do. This was the most he’d ever opened up to me. I didn’t want to jinx it.
“She seemed like she wanted to talk to me about something that night we went to dinner, but then she ended up leaving.”
“That’s the last time I saw her,” he said.
“Me too. She was supposed to meet with me regarding the transfer of personal items from the will, but she didn’t show.”
He nodded. “She’s been through a lot.”
“I think you all have.”
He pursed his lips into a flat line. “I don’t want to talk about this.”
I squeezed his hand. “Okay.”
“How was your day?”
“Busy, but fine.”
He nodded but said nothing.
I wasn’t sure what to do, so I did nothing. A few minutes passed, and then he held up his arm. “Come here.”
I smiled and snuggled into his shoulder.
He kissed the top of my head.
We stayed there, silently, the only sound our breathing.
Rock was in a better mood the next morning. We’d gone to bed together, and he held me, but we hadn’t made love.
Really weird, but it was also nice. I was feeling closer to him, which was what I wanted, but I fought myself. I didn’t want to enjoy it too much and end up heartbroken.
I took a quick shower and then found him in the kitchen, frying up bacon and hash browns in a cast-iron skillet. He was wearing a pair of old jeans and nothing else, his newly cut hair was in disarray, and he looked absolutely edible.
We hadn’t so much as kissed since we’d gotten on the plane. He must really be worried about his sister.
“Hey.” I put my arms around him and kissed the back of his shoulder. “Anything I can do to help?”
“Nope. Coffee’s done, and the mugs are in the cupboard above the brewer.”
“Great. You need a cup?”
“Already got one. I hope you’re hungry. I make a great breakfast.”
“I know. You left me eggs the morning after my overindulgence, remember?”
“Lace, this is going to be so much better than cold, clammy eggs.”
I inhaled. “It smells divine.” I took a drink of coffee. “So where are we riding today?”
“Everywhere,” he said. “I can’t wait to get back on my bike.”
“Sounds good.” I hoped I sounded sincere. The bike still scared me a little, but I had no doubt that Rock would be in solid command of it. The man could take solid command of everything, including Wolfe Enterprises.
Including my body.
Including me, God help me.
I missed the furious lovemaking, but I was also enjoying this side of Rock. He seemed more real to me, and I liked it.
I liked it a lot.
I took a seat at the small oak table in the kitchen and inhaled again.
“Ready?” he asked. He handed me a plate of what appeared to be a breakfast casserole.
