CHAPTER SEVEN

 

Rock stopped in the doorway of the bathroom, arrested by the visual feast in front of him.

Deborah stood under the shower, her eyes closed, her head thrown back as water cascaded over her head and ran in rivulets down her beautiful body.

Her dark brown hair looked like a mass of black silk slicked to her head and rippling over her shoulders. Rosy nipples, still blood swollen from his earlier attentions tipped her breasts, tempting him to taste again. Her feminine hands ran over her stomach, dipping down to the neat patch of dark hair covering her mound.

A primal growl rose in his throat.

That was his to touch, but damn. Watching her bathe herself was erotic torture.

He pulled the glass door on the shower open and stepped inside the oversized enclosure, blocking some of the multiple jets from Deborah's body.

Her eyes fluttered open, sultry sensuality glowing in the dark chocolate depths. She didn't tense with embarrassment at being caught washing herself intimately, like some women would, and he found that an amazing turn on.

Her eyelids dropped to half-mast and she smiled. "Done with your phone calls?"

"I only made one. Carey is bringing Gamble and Morganstein for dinner later."

"Am I staying for it?" she asked, not sounding particularly interested in the conversation as she reached for him.

He wrapped her in his arms, surprised by the desire to hold her. Because it wasn't entirely motivated by sexual need. "We'll get your things and bring them back beforehand."

"So, I'm really moving in."

"You agreed." Was she trying to back out now that he'd agreed to location shoot?

"I did. I guess I still find it a little incredible you're inviting a total stranger to live in your home for the next two months." She rubbed her hands down his back and over his buttocks.

"After this afternoon, I wouldn't call you a total stranger."

She laughed, the soft feminine sound going straight to his dick. "No, I suppose not."

He pulled her closer, so their wet, naked bodies touched from chest to thighs. "I ran a background check on you."

Would that piss her off?

She nuzzled into his chest, licking a trail of water up his pectoral. "You said you didn't know how old I was."

"The file came in while you were sleeping." Fire erupted along the trail of her tongue against his skin.

He did nothing to stifle his groan of appreciation at the sensation.

"Are you going to let me read it?" she asked between gentle bites of the flesh she'd just licked.

Was he supposed to keep thinking while she did that?

"If you want." His voice broke on the last word as her teeth closed over his nipple, pressing down just until it began to sting.

She laved his nipple before pulling away to move across his chest with more biting kisses. "It only seems fair."

He didn't reply as her mouth found his other nipple, sending unexpected pleasure stabbing through him.

Her uninhibited enjoyment of his body excited the hell out him.

She would be the perfect lover if she wasn't in the acting business.

Shoving that disturbing thought away, Rock cupped her delectable ass and lifted.

She didn't hesitate to lift her face for a wild kiss. Her lips were soft and swollen from earlier, her mouth just as sweet and hot.

Her legs came up around his hips as he adjusted their position so the apex of her thighs pressed against his swiftly growing erection. She undulated against him, rubbing her clit against his cock, their kiss going incendiary.

As often as they'd already had sex today, this time should be slow and leisurely.

He wasn't feeling it though.

He wanted to be inside her body. Right now.

Rock helped Deborah get better friction between them with his hold on her fleshy curves as they moved together.

It felt so damn good, but he wanted more.

She broke her mouth from his. "Want you inside me."

"No condom." He'd had every intention of getting sexy in the shower, but hadn't thought they'd end up doing the Full Monty.

Not just because he'd already been inside her more times than even he had expected to happen, but they were under time constraints.

If they were going to get her things before dinner, they didn't have a lot of time for their shower antics.

That didn't stop his body from demanding full penetration though.

"Get one," she demanded even as her legs tightened around him and she increased the tempo.

"You'll be too tender." It was the one consideration he could not ignore.

Something shifted in her expression, approval mixed with awe sliding over her beautiful features. "I'm not."

"Are you sure?" Did he still have that extra box of condoms under the sink?

"Yes." Her undulations grew more frantic. "I want."

He felt that particular tight sensation in his balls and at the base of his cock that told him even if he didn't get inside her, he was going to come.

"You have to let go, if you want me to get the condoms."

"No." She wasn't letting go.

"Fine."

He shoved the shower door open and stepped dripping onto the tile, her body latched around his like an octopus. He bent down and flipped open the door on the under-sink cabinet.

She giggled, the sound going high and breaking as his movements shifted the position of their bodies.

Score. The condoms were there. Unopened. Damn.

It took precious seconds to rip through the packaging and get to a condom. Then he had to open that without destroying the damn thing in the process.

Not an easy task with her mouth burning another pleasure trail along his neck and collarbone.

He sat her on the edge of the vanity, stepping back far enough to get the condom into place. His damn hands shook as he rolled the latex over his aching dick.

Without preamble, he hooked his arms under her knees, spreading her wide for his penetration. She leaned back, her hands supporting her on the countertop, breasts offered up in tempting relief.

He groaned. "That picture right there is enough to make me come."

"You better not!" But her expression said she was pleased to have this effect on him.

He pressed the head of his cock against her entrance.

It was her turn to moan, her head falling back, her body flushed with desire. "Yesss..."

The word drew out into a long, pleasure filled moan as he pushed inside her.

It should be easy. She shouldn't be so tight. Not after their hours in bed.

But wet, silken flesh pressed around him in a snug grasp that stole his breath. "You're so tight."

"You're big."

Maybe he was, but he didn't remember another woman holding him so closely.

"Perfect fit," he groaned out as he pulled back until only his head remained inside her.

She gasped. "Don't tease."

He didn't answer. Couldn't answer. He wasn't drawing it out on purpose. Rock was running purely on instinct right now.

Doing what his body required.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

She made a needy sound and he plunged forward, barely bottoming out before he was pulling back in one long glide. Deborah cried out and tilted her pelvis up to meet him, to draw him in? He didn't know, couldn't stop to figure it out.

Swiveling his hips on each downward thrust, he pistoned in and out of her, driving them both deeper into the maelstrom of pleasure.

It consumed him.

Her cries and demands for more said she was drowning just like him.

And then he couldn't even think that much anymore as he pounded into her with uncontrolled, primitive rhythm. Pleasure roared through him, exploding out of his cock into the condom. His muscles locked as he shouted his approval.

Deborah tightened around him, her own scream rending the air as her vaginal walls convulsed and squeezed him to maximized pleasure.

She was so beautiful in her satisfaction, it hurt him somewhere deep inside to see Deborah abandoned so completely.

One thing he was sure of. In this moment, she wasn't playing a part.

No matter how good an actor she was, the flush of her body, the involuntary tightening of her muscles, the glazed looked in her eyes, they all told a story he wanted to read again and again and again.

 

Deborah waited nervously for Art, Carey and Ms. Morganstein to arrive for dinner.

She was less concerned about how they were going to react to Rock's new contract as the news she'd moved in with him for the duration of their filming in Alaska.

She could barely believe she'd agreed to it herself.

But there was something about Rock. He wasn't like any other man she'd known and the sex was mind blowing, just like he'd promised. She'd pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming, but she'd never imagined sex could be this good.

Even in her dreams.

"Deep thoughts?" Rock asked, coming into the living room.

Deborah shrugged. "I'm just not sure what everyone is going to think of me moving in here for the shoot."

"Carey is staying too."

"He is?" Did that make it worse or better?

Rock poured himself a whiskey from the drinks cabinet. "I want to spend more time with my brother."

That wasn't surprising, considering how Rock felt about his family. She'd been surprised Carey's initial plans hadn't included staying at Jepsom Acres.

Well, until she'd realized he'd signed the land use contract without his brother's knowledge or approval.

She had a thought. "Does Carey know he's staying?"

"He will tonight."

Nope. No alpha dictator in this man at all. She wasn't about to examine too closely why that trait seemed sexy instead of annoying either.

She simply said mildly, "He is an adult, you know."

"Even adults need the support of their family once in a while."

"Do your sister and brother know that about you?"

Sadness? Weariness? Something flickered in Rock's gaze. "I'm the exception to that rule."

Or he'd been forced to be for so long, he didn't know he needed other people.

Without thinking about why she felt the need to do it, she walked over to him and reached up to kiss the underside of his jaw. "You're exceptional, that's for sure."

His smile took her breath away. "Thank you."

His kiss was on her lips and held a lot more passion than hers had. She was lost in the feel of his lips when the sound of a door opening and voices barely registered.

With a final press of his lips to hers, Rock stepped back. "They're here."

She was still translating those words in her desire fogged mind when Carey came into the living room, followed closely by Art and Ms. Morganstein.

"I'm glad Carey was able to talk sense into you about the contract." Art put his hand out Rock.

Rock shook the other man's hand, but his expression wasn't warm. "Funny, I was under the impression you sent Deborah to do that."

Art shrugged. "It never hurts to have more than one perspective."

That sounded so much better than the reality, which Deborah was now pretty sure had been an expectation she would exploit the sexual chemistry between her and Rock to convince him.

Which she had done.

An unpleasant weight settled in her stomach.

"Knock it off, Rock." Carey shook his head. "You have your own reasons for letting us use Jepsom Acres for the film, but the day you let a woman lead you by the nose - or anything else - I'll give up acting."

Since she was certain that was the very last thing Carey would ever do, Deborah appreciated the sentiment.

She wasn't so sure, but she would cling to the belief Rock's own reasons had more to do with his love for his brother than the amazing sex she and Rock had had that afternoon.

"We're all hoping that doesn't happen any time soon, Carey." Ms. Morganstein's tone wasn't effusive, but was all the more believable for its dry sincerity.

And that was one of the reasons Deborah had wanted to work on this project. Art might have his cynical side and Ms. Morganstein might be hard as nails, but they appreciated artistic talent.

Carey's smile was nearly as gorgeous as his brothers, but it didn't affect her the same way. Not even a little. "Thank you, Ms. Morganstein."

Rock wasn't smiling, but he wasn't glaring either as he surveyed her bosses. "Carey, get our guests a drink."

The younger man immediately offered the contents of the drinks cabinet with the confidence of familiarity.

Art didn't surprise her when he asked for soda water and a lime. The director didn't drink when he was talking business. Ms. Morganstein, however, wanted a Manhattan and Carey showed his mixology skills making it with practiced ease.

Rock's brow rose, but he didn't comment on his brother's adeptness as a bartender. "I assume you brought the revised contract with your witnessed signatures."

Art settled into the same chair he'd used before. "I wasn't happy with some of the restrictions you placed on hours for filming and locations."

Carey poured himself two fingers of whiskey and swallowed half in one large gulp.

Rock frowned at his brother basically doing a shot for courage and then at Art. "I told you the terms weren't negotiable."

"Everything is negotiable."

"You don't know my brother," Carey muttered before tipping back the rest of the amber liquid in his glass.

Ms. Morganstein's lips pursed, her eyes casting censure at the director. "We talked about this, Art."

"And I told you I thought Mr. Jepsom was a reasonable man, Elaine."

Taking Deborah's arm and tugging her toward the sofa, Rock ignored the by-play. "Did you know Cailkirn was settled primarily by members of three Scottish clans?"

"I read something like that. There was an Englishman and Russian fur traders too, weren't there?"

Rock's mouth twisted sardonically. "That's right. The town has a website. Sloan said we needed to move into the twenty-first century."

"Sloan?" she asked.

"Mayor Sloan Jackson. Wasn't his picture all over the website?" Rock asked with mockery.

She remembered the letter from the mayor now. "Not really. Just with his letter."

"He does like his publicity photo."

"It's a good one." She might have infused her voice with just a tad extra clear feminine approval.

But if the man was as good looking as his photo made him out to be, he could give Rock a run for his money in the gorgeous alpha male race.

"You think so?" Rock asked with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, yes. He's pretty young for a mayor, isn't he?" She gave Rock her best guileless look.

"Especially in this town," Carey inserted.

Rock shook his head at his brother. "Sit down, kid, before you topple."

"I'm fine," Carey insisted, though his cheeks were flushed from his double shot.

He sat down however, and Deborah gave a mental sigh of relief.

"He was only thirty when he got elected. Sloan's the one that got us on the cruise route." Carey nodded sagely.

Deborah refrained from rolling her eyes. All they needed right now was a tipsy dinner companion when things were already tense between Rock and the others.

"He had the right business and political connections to make it happen." Rock didn't seem bothered by his brother's tipsy demeanor.

But then he wasn't giving off much of any emotion at all.

"Yeah. Lucky him. You're one of his friends. Right, big brother?"

"Yes." Rock gave Deborah a sideways look. "I could introduce you if you want."

"No, thank you." She would have laughed if she was sure he was teasing like she'd been.

After their hours together in bed, she had no interest in meeting another man. No matter how good looking and politically savvy.

"Getting back to the contract..." Art inserted.

Rock turned his sherry gaze onto her director, no give in his granite set features. "You can leave the signed contract on the coffee table before you leave tonight or start looking for a different location tomorrow."

Art opened his mouth to speak, but Ms. Morganstein forestalled him. "Would you please try to remember, Art, that Mr. Jepsom has not signed the contract himself?"

In other words, Rock could still withdraw his contractual offer if Art's insistence on trying to negotiate what had been presented as nonnegotiable annoyed him enough.

"Come now, Mr. Jepsom. You have to realize the difficulties you are putting in our way with some of your stipulations. You are not a neophyte about this business."

Ms. Morganstein let out a hiss of annoyance.

Carey just shook his head and muttered something too low to hear.

"Call me Rock. Using Mr. isn't going to convince me of a respectful attitude when you use it just before trying once again to adjust terms I have been clear are already set."

"I'm not trying to offend you, Rock, but I've got a movie to make."

"And you can make it somewhere else if you don't like my provisions for making it here on Jepsom Acres."

Art seemed to finally get a clue that Rock meant what he said because the director opened and closed his mouth without speaking again. His expression turned thoughtful, but not calculating.

Finally.

Art looked at Deborah. "What do you think about the contract?"

"I haven't seen it."

Art's brows beetled, his eyes narrowing on her. "What were you doing here all afternoon then?"

"Getting to know me better," Rock said without missing a beat.

While she sat and called on every drop of her talent as an actor to hide her gasping shock at the colossal disingenuousness or lack of perception in Art's question.

"I'm sure she took the time to tell you about the movie then," Ms. Morganstein said drily.

"She did."

"What did you think?" Carey asked, trepidation seeping through his tipsy demeanor.

"That the subject matter and intent behind the film were worth investing in."

"Oh." Carey's head dropped. "I thought..."

"We can talk about what you thought later. We'll have plenty of time. You and Deborah will be staying here for the duration of the filming."

Carey's head shot up at that. "We will? I mean, that's great. I thought I'd want to stay with the rest of the cast and crew at the lodge, but I miss home."

"I'm glad to hear that."

Carey gave his brother a smile that nearly broke Deborah's heart. He so obviously wanted his brother's approval.

While Rock, in no way, could be said to approve of their chosen profession, the man's love for his brother was undeniable. A pang of longing for family, for that kind of unconditional love, hit Deborah so hard it became a breath-stealing pain.

She wanted to call her younger sister, but Deborah knew that, ultimately, she would feel just as empty afterward, if not more so. Alicia had chosen her primary allegiance a long time ago and it wasn't to the sister who had chosen to buck family tradition and expectations.

Rock's hand landed on her shoulder.

Maybe that should embarrass her in front of her bosses because it implied at least some level of intimacy had been achieved between them. But she didn't care.

Deborah needed the human connection right then.

Their gazes clashed, his seeing too much.

"It turns out it's a good thing they are both staying here," Art said, interrupting the silent communication between Rock and Deborah. "There was some kind of mix-up with the rooms booked for our cast and crew. Right now, some of the rooms have four people staying in them."

"Sounds crowded," Rock offered laconically.

The look he gave Deborah said that once again, he wasn't impressed with the director's forethought and planning.

"I don't know what happened." Ms. Morganstein frowned. "The directorial first assistant assured me that the proper number of rooms was reserved, but the Lodge did not agree."

Rock looked ready to say something Deborah was pretty sure would be derogatory or incendiary.

"Do you think Lydia's ready to serve dinner?" she asked with classic, and not very subtle, misdirection.

"Who's Lydia?" Carey demanded.

"Mrs. Painter." Rock grimaced. "She has decided she and Deborah are friends."

"What does that make us?" Carey asked in unconscious duplication of his brother's same question that morning.

"Family," Rock said, giving Lydia's answer.

Carey's brow furrowed, but he didn't say anything else.

"As to your question," Rock said to Deborah. "She left it warming before going home."

"She doesn't live here?" Deborah asked in surprise.

"She used to. When the twins were younger, but she finally married her longtime beau when they started high school."

Carey made a disgusted sound.

Rock rolled his eyes. "My brother never forgave Levi Painter for taking her away."

Carey shrugged, embarrassed, but he didn't deny Rock's words.

"Art, put the signed contract on the coffee table and then might I suggest we all celebrate with dinner?" Ms. Morganstein worded it as a question, but she was already standing in anticipation of everyone's cooperation.

"I'd prefer to see Rock sign the contract before we go into dinner."

"My assistant acts as my notary, but he went home hours ago."

Deborah hadn't realized anyone else was in the house. Who else did he have working for him?

 

Art handed a set of documents toward Rock. "Deborah and Carey can witness it."

Rock didn't reply, but he took the contracts and checked both copies had the required signatures before adding his own.

Deborah and Carey both signed as witnesses and then Rock passed one copy back to Art and laid the other on the coffee table.

Carey jumped up like that had been a signal. "Now, we can eat."