Pure Attraction Read online

  “More.” Her voice was tight, filled with tension. Her nails dug into his biceps, which seemed to have a mainline to his cock. Drops of water from her hair fell on his chest each time their hips met.

  “You want to be my favorite toy?” she said hoarsely. “Then don’t stop. Make me come.”

  Her words looped in his head as his hips thrust, over and over, until she was shuddering around him, crying out his name. Two days of building need erupted inside, and his body went rigid. His groan came from somewhere deep, his chest rumbling as he came inside the woman he had satisfied. Jessie. She collapsed onto his chest, and he held her there as his body quaked with aftershocks.

  The ocean shushed through the open window. His body was slick with sweat and the water from her hair. Jessie was soft and wet and warm, and her skin against his stirred something deep inside him. There was nothing more that he wanted than to feel the weight of her lying on him, her breaths slowing, fully satisfied.

  The warning bells were ringing in his head, but he refused to let them take over. He felt...content. He wasn’t wishing for something else. Just lying there, together, it felt honest and right, really right. This would slip away soon, so soon. So tonight, he was going to let himself have what he wanted. And that meant lying in the quiet of the room lit by the evening sky, as his heartbeat slowed.

  They lay in silence, his fingers moving in slow caresses. Then, with a sigh, Jessie rolled off him. Byron kissed her forehead, then headed for the bathroom to dispose of the condom. The bathrooms were all tile and stone, sleek, modern and without adornment. The design was perfect, though he had to admit it made finding the trash can difficult. By the time he returned to the bedroom, Jessie was sitting against the pile of pillows at the head of the bed. One leg was stretched in front of her, the other bent at the knee, and her hands rested by her side. There was an innate confidence in the way she sat, almost like a challenge to take her just as she was.

  She smiled as he walked across the bedroom and climbed back onto the bed. He hadn’t said a word and, quite uncharacteristically as far as he could tell, neither had she. It was as if they had made a tacit agreement to let this evening settle a little before the magic of it was broken. Her gaze traveled down his naked body. The heat was still there, the interest, but it was different this time.

  Byron settled on the bed next to Jessie. He lifted her legs and draped them over one of his, leaving his hand on her thigh. Inside the van on the dusty turnoff earlier that day, he had hinted at sex, and it had been incredible in all the right ways. Incredible. And it had come to an end.

  If he left now, he might be able to keep this evening in perspective. It was about sex, a fun, mutually pleasurable exploration of something that turned them both on. He’d played out this dynamic with enough women to know it was the kind of thing that didn’t translate well into a real life, after-sex chat. It made leaving a satisfying evening behind simple—on both sides. But as he stroked Jessie’s thigh with his thumb, her soft skin warm, he found he didn’t want to leave it behind. This was definitely different, and he didn’t want to think about why. Not now. The spell hadn’t faded, thought the glow of the orgasm was wearing off, and he wanted to stretch this quiet, intimate moment out, before they reached what would inevitably come. Still, the words that had been hovering in his consciousness swooped in for another attack. Be careful.

  Jessie placed her hand over his, bringing his quiet exploration of her thigh to a stop. “So that’s what you like.”

  Understatement of the year.

  But she said it softly, with a hint of wonder, like it was an answer to her own question. There was no trace of judgment in her voice.

  “Good for you, too, I hope.” He turned his hand so his palm met hers.

  Jessie laughed. “You would have heard right away if it wasn’t.”

  “Of course.” He tried hard not to imagine the reprimand, considering he was naked, and his cock still half-hard from the last round. It wouldn’t take much to get him going again. But after showing up at her cabin unannounced, it was her turn to make the next move.

  She was quiet for a moment, her hand against his. Then she slipped her legs off his and turned away.

  “I’m hungry,” she said, scooting off the bed. “Isn’t there a meal waiting for me?”

  Byron frowned. The question was so casual, and he couldn’t figure out why it didn’t sit right. She was still asking him to serve her, after sex. Serving her was what all their encounters had been about, so why was this question so...disappointing?

  Jessie took a few steps toward the door, then looked over her shoulder. “Aren’t you eating with me?”

  Byron’s heart jumped, and all the disappointment dissolved. She hadn’t been asking him to continue serving her. She wanted him to stay for more than just sex.

  But she must have read his silence as hesitation because she added, “I mean, you did carry those boxes all the way over here. I must say, the service here at the Kalani is divine.”

  She delivered those lines in perfectly casual irony, but there was a hint of uncertainty behind them. And that was the last thing he wanted her to feel.

  He rose from the bed and headed for her. She must have seen a glint in his eye, because as he approached, she tried to dodge him. But he was bigger and faster, and he caught her around the waist, squeezing her gently, tickling her. She let out a little yelp of laughter, and he lowered his mouth to her ear.

  “You looking for more service tonight?”

  CHAPTER NINE

  “SO THIS IS the life of the CFO of Hayden Properties?” Jessie asked innocently, hovering her chopsticks over one of the last remaining pieces of the Maki roll. “Surfing, sex, eating leisurely dinners in the guest cabins?”

  Byron let out a bark of laughter, and she picked up the bite-sized roll of seaweed, rice, avocado and tuna, averting her gaze to fight off her grin. Of course his life wasn’t really like this...probably. She had to admit that the last two days had challenged all her stereotypes about the various company presidents and decision-makers that she had tangled with in the past.

  “Not even close,” he said. “My life is eighty-hour workweeks, business dinners with a table full of people I don’t really like, and a staff demanding my attention twenty-hour hours a day.”

  She paused, her food hovering over the plate. “You seem awfully relaxed for someone with that kind of schedule.”

  “It’s my job to deal with high levels of stress,” he said dryly. “This is my vacation, Jessie. I come here a few days a month to unwind and check up on how things are going here.”

  She suppressed a smile. “Is that what we were doing together? Unwinding?”

  Jessie dipped her piece of the Maki roll into the bowl of soy sauce and wasabi mixture, then popped it into her mouth. She let out a groan of pleasure. Oh, Lord, she was going to write the Kalani chefs a letter of appreciation for every single meal she’d eaten.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” said Byron, his gaze on her mouth.

  It was hard not to get distracted by that look, the one that said he was paying attention to every detail. And though they were both wearing clothes again, it didn’t feel like it would take much for them to lose them. But she really was hungry. And curious.

  “How much vacation time does the CFO of Hayden Properties get these days?”

  “None, if I’m not careful.” He frowned, and for a moment she caught a glimpse of Byron the businessman. He was powerful. Not in-your-face powerful, but there was so much determination behind that low-key facade. She had already made a comment about people underestimating him, and yet, after a couple orgasms, she had so easily forgotten that if they saw each other in the business world, he would probably be on the enemy side of the table. How could she forget that so easily?

  Then his expression softened, and she was ready to forget again. “My entire life revolved a
round Hayden Properties for years. But since I built the Kalani, I’ve come here every single month, just to remind myself of what I’m working for.”

  “Where do you stay?”

  “I have a place, on the eastern side of the tip of the peninsula.”

  A place. An understatement, of course—she was learning his language. On the Kalani map, the eastern half of the peninsula was grayed out. She had passed what must be his driveway on the path to the surf spot, marked with a No Guests, Please sign on the gate. Behind that gate was probably a sprawling property like the ones tucked away in Los Altos Hills, where Jillian’s gazillionaire boyfriend lived.

  But Byron wasn’t like Scott, and neither of them fit all her executive stereotypes, not exactly. And though his “place” was probably bigger than her entire San Francisco block, for once she wasn’t thinking about the waste of it. Instead, she was wondering what it was like to be able to afford a place like that and not have the time to use it. And when he was there, was he alone? He had managed to find entertainment for himself tonight. Not that she was judging—she’d been beyond happy that he had shown up.

  It all made her wonder what it was like to be Byron.

  He reached for the last piece of the Maki roll, then lowered his hand. “This isn’t enough food for two. You must be starving.”

  “I can call for more.” She gestured for him to take the little roll.

  “And let another server in here?” Byron’s mouth kicked up into a smile. “Hell no. I know what you do with them.”

  She took a swat at his arm. “Only the ones that are really good at serving me.”

  He took the last piece of the roll, dipped it in her soy sauce mixture and brought it to his mouth.

  “Or... I have another idea,” she said slowly. “I still have reservations at Hilltop Restaurant. We can probably make the time if we hurry.”

  As soon as the invitation came out, she could see it was a mistake. Byron froze, midbite, his dark eyebrows bunching together. Of course he didn’t want to venture out into the resort and mix his private life with his professional one, especially not for dinner with a woman he barely knew.

  Or maybe it was something else. It was the same hesitation she had detected when she invited him to stay for dinner. All the vulnerability from that moment came back in full force. Maybe, despite all his warmth, despite the way he sat with her on the bed stroking her, he was reluctant to extend this evening beyond the bedroom. He had done this before, and he probably had limits—probably for good reasons.

  “Or maybe not,” she said quickly, ignoring the tug of disappointment inside. “You don’t have time for that.”

  She was giving him a way out, and she watched his expression for relief. She didn’t find it. Instead, the lines on his forehead grew deeper as he bit into the Maki roll. His silence was killing her. Jessie’s entire life had been filled with men who couldn’t keep their thoughts to themselves. Starting with her father’s thinly veiled critiques of who her mother associated with or how she dressed, continuing with the predictable comments she’d received as the only girl in her small-town high school’s programming class and, most recently, condescendingly “helpful” tips from male colleagues—she had heard it all. Byron, on the other hand, didn’t seem to speak until he had thought through exactly what he wanted to say. It was a relief under most circumstances, but right now, she was hoping he’d show a little less restraint.

  “You have a plane to catch tomorrow,” she said, prompting him, giving him yet another out.

  He finished his bite and took a drink of his wine. “I do,” he said, but he didn’t say more.

  Jessie rolled her eyes. Why was he dragging this out?

  “You probably need to get up early so you don’t miss your plane.” A hint of exasperation came through in her voice.

  That earned her a small smile. “It’s my plane, Jessie. I decide when it leaves.”

  Of course he had his own plane. Jessie blew out a deep breath. “Look, I was trying to give you an easy excuse to say no, but you’re not taking the hint. So I’ll just come out and say it. Dinner was probably beyond what we’re doing here tonight, so we can just forget I offered.”

  He was watching her carefully, still not answering. So she just stared back, waiting him out.

  Finally, he tipped his head to the side. “I told you I’d be honest with you.”

  “And silence counts as honesty?”

  “I thought we already had that conversation.” His smile cut through her undisguised irritation. “I’m not searching for an excuse. The truth is I wish I didn’t have to go tomorrow. For many reasons, including this one.” He gestured between them with his big, capable hand. Jessie was trying not to get distracted by it. “I was just thinking that maybe it would be easier to say good-night now, but I’m finding I really, really don’t want to. So if this evening is what we have together, I’d love to go to the Hilltop Restaurant for dinner with you.”

  Jessie’s heart was thumping hard in her chest, and she was trying hard to ignore her relief at his answer. “Then, let’s go.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  JESSIE LET OUT a sigh of pure pleasure as she looked around her. The path to the restaurant wove through the Kalani peninsula, passing private cabins, pools, tennis courts and other amenities all tucked away behind tropical greenery. They passed a few wandering couples who greeted them with polite nods. A few more were being shuttled in quiet electric carts by Kalani staff members who tried to hide their double takes at Byron in his staff shirt. Byron just nodded to everyone who passed, in that same understated way he had. The more time she spent with him, the more truth her earlier observation seemed to hold: how easy it would be for people to underestimate his low-key attitude. People meaning her right now, too.

  Byron’s hand settled gently on her back, sending tingles of awareness through her. “I did a little reading on you. Where did the idea for MomJobs come from? As far as I understand, you’re not a mother, and neither is your sister.”

  Jessie had fielded that question hundreds of times, and she opened her mouth to give him her well-rehearsed response: getting women into the workforce after they had kids was a feminist issue. What was good for mothers was good for every woman. All of this was true. But if Byron had done a little reading on her, then he had certainly seen that answer before. He wasn’t asking a business question, so she gave him the other truth, the one she and Jillian still skirted around, even after they were no longer living under their parents’ roof.

  “My mother went to college for her Mrs. degree, and she got it. By the time she figured out this wasn’t a good path, she was stuck in a small town with two young kids.” Jessie was trying to keep her voice light, but she was pretty sure her emotions leaked through anyway. She wasn’t even sure which ones those were anymore. “Something like this would make a difference in my mother’s life. It would give her options, if she was willing to try it.”

  “I see.”

  There was understanding in Byron’s voice, as if he heard the pieces of the story she had left out, too. That her mother had actually gotten angry at Jessie when she suggested her mother try the app.

  He was quiet for a while. “Are your parents still together?”

  “Yes, unfortunately for both of them. They definitely don’t bring out the best in each other.” She frowned. “But neither of them know how to get out of it at this point.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Me, too. But we don’t choose our families. We just do the best we can with what we’re given.”

  Byron smiled. “Amen to that.”

  They were nearing the part of the resort where the forest began, and the sound of birds and frogs and whatever else lived in there filled the night.

  “Tell me about the company,” he said.

  “My sister is in charge of the front end, and I’m the tech side. We’ve fou
nd it works better that way.”

  Byron gave a snort of amusement, as if he, too, understood exactly why she wasn’t suited for customer service. “I’d imagine being in charge of the tech side means lots of long hours.”

  “Definitely.” Jessie shrugged. “It’s rewarding but not sustainable. We’re having a hard time keeping up with user demands, but we don’t have the capital to hire the people we need. We can either sell to a bigger company or take investment money. Both options mean we lose a degree of control. And—” It was still hard to talk about this part, even though she had done everything in her power to make it go right. “The last time we took investor money, the growth didn’t happen fast enough. The venture capital firm ended up clearing house anyway within the first year. And when they did that, I quit, too.”

  Byron was taking this in the way he took in everything else, those dark eyebrows furrowed, his gaze steady and focused. “That must’ve taken a while to move on from.”

  Jessie laughed. “Jillian would say I haven’t moved on. Which is why we’re at the same place again, and I don’t want to bring in investors. Not until I’m sure that we share the same vision for the company. And that includes keeping on the people I brought on. I hired back the people who we had the last time around, and I’m not going to make the same mistake. Those people left jobs to come work for us and some of them have kids to support. I’m not letting anyone ruin that, just for short-term numbers.”

  Byron nodded slowly. “I understand that.”

  He was quiet for a while, and she wondered what he was thinking. Was he coming up with a new business plan? God, she hoped not. More likely he thought it was ridiculous for her to turn down lots of money...though the last time she tried to guess what he was thinking, she had been wrong.

  “The suspense is killing me,” she said, giving him a little poke at his side. “So what advice does Byron Keahi, CFO of Hayden Properties, have for me?”

  “Do you want to grow?” he asked. He was smiling, but his voice was quiet, thoughtful. “I mean, aside from financial considerations, what else does growing mean to you?”