One Hot Crush (Hot Brits Book 3) Read online

  The rest of my speech goes by in a blur. I say all the words I'm meant to say, I hold up each device while I discuss it, and I don't stammer or choke on my own tongue. Not once. Not even when I have to say the name of the most embarrassingly titled device---the Jackrabbit. No, I am not going to explain why it's called that, not to this audience or to any of my friends or family, mostly because I have no idea. Reese came up with the name. He says his wife, Arden, gave him the idea. I don't want to know how or why she did that.

  It's one of the two new devices I created. The second one won't be unveiled quite yet. I'm planning a private reveal for one person, the woman who inspired it. When I told Celeste I wanted to delay the announcement, she didn't complain. She said, "Yes, Dane darling, whatever my favorite employee wants."

  "Shouldn't Reese be your favorite employee?" I'd asked. "He is your grandson-in-law."

  "And I adore Reese, but I adore you even more." She patted my cheek. "Let's not tell Reese that. It's our little secret."

  I've wrapped up my speech, so I walk behind the curtain. Celeste assured me I wouldn't need to answer questions from the press. She'll handle that. I hear her voice, projected by the speakers, as I pull Rika into my arms and hold her tight.

  "So fucking glad that's over," I groan.

  Reese chuckles. "You really aren't built for the public life, are you?"

  "No, I'm not." I pull back enough to see Rika's face. Her smile is bright and loving. "Can we talk alone? I want to discuss something with you."

  "Sure thing."

  Reese winks at me. "Yes, Dane, you drag your girlfriend into a closet or whatever and have her shag you until you can't see straight. That'll make you feel much better."

  "Piss off, Reese."

  I don't drag Rika into a closet, but I do drag her out to the limousine Celeste hired to take us to and from the headquarters. We kiss for the entire ride back to my hotel, and that kissing involves plenty of groping as well as Rika's hand inside my trousers. I want to get my hand under her skirt, but it's the sort that's so bloody long and narrow that I can't get any part of me under it.

  Once we get inside my suite, I strip off all her clothing and mine too, then I lay her down on the bed.

  "I have a surprise for you," I say as I crawl up the bed to crouch over her beautiful body.

  "You said you want to talk about something." She clasps her hands above her head, smiling in that subtle, sexy way I love. "But we're naked, so I'm thinking a conversation isn't tops on your list of things to do."

  "We can talk after." I pull open the drawer in the bedside table and bring out a velvet bag. "Your surprise is in here. I made something just for you, because of you, and you're the first human on earth to see it. I made the prototype myself."

  "Is this a new device?"

  "Yes."

  She cradles my face in her hands, the desire in her expression softened by a tenderness that always sets off a pang behind my ribs. "I told you before, I don't need your devices. I want you, Dane."

  "But we can play with my devices. I know you'd like that." I tug the velvet bag open, reaching inside it. "I know you want me, without any mechanical aids, and I'm not worried about that anymore. But I want to play with you, Rika."

  Her smile gets bigger, and her eyes sparkle. "I'd love that."

  I knew she would, and I can't wait to do that. Pulling out the item I'd kept inside the velvet bag, I slip it onto my hand.

  "That's a glove," she says, her forehead crinkling along with her brows. She's so fucking adorable when she's confused and aroused. "It looks soft, and I love that, but---"

  "It is soft. It's made from the finest microfiber on earth." I spread my gloved hand over her belly and squeeze a tiny button on the inside of the glove's cuff. It begins to vibrate, not as much as other devices I've made, but with a gentle vibration meant to tease her. "How does this feel?"

  She stiffens for a few seconds, then her entire body relaxes, and she hums with satisfaction. "That feels soooo good."

  While I glide my gloved hand over her belly, I watch her enraptured expression, and blood starts to rush down to my cock. "I thought about making the glove from silk, but that would drive up the price. I want every woman to have the opportunity to feel the way you look right now. You're gorgeous, Rika, and I want to shag you until you're half out of your mind."

  "Yes, please." She writhes and moans when I cup her breast with my gloved hand. "You really are a genius, Dane."

  I flick my thumb over her nipple.

  She jerks and cries out. "Oh God, do that again."

  "Like it, do you?" I flick my thumb again, then brush my fingers over her areola in slow circles. Her throaty moan makes my cock twitch. "Time to come for me, love."

  I drag my hand down her belly, pausing over her mound only long enough to make her squirm and gasp, then I push my hand between her folds. Naturally, I made the ultra-soft material waterproof. When I whisk my finger around her clit, she goes off.

  "Dane!" she shouts while her body goes rigid and her fingers clench the sheets.

  Once I've made her come for as long as she can stand to, I turn off the glove and toss it onto the table.

  And I make love to her for an hour.

  While we enjoy the afterglow, we talk about the future.

  "This isn't the life I want," I tell her. "I thought I did, but I don't. I'm not meant for a public life."

  "Yeah, I figured. You were amazing at the press conference, but I know you don't like doing that kind of thing."

  "Would it, uh, disappoint you if I, um, sort of...quit my job?"

  She kisses me. "I want you to be happy. Quit, if that's what you need to do."

  "I'd much rather go home to England and start designing different kinds of devices. No more vibrators. Maybe I can help people with physical therapy or something. Haven't decided yet."

  "Whatever you decide to do, I know you'll be a genius at it." She dances her fingertips over my chest. "And I'll go anywhere with you. England, the South Pole, wherever. Besides, England is a lot closer to where my parents live in Sweden."

  God, I love her.

  The next day, we break the news to Celeste. She's not upset about it. In fact, she doesn't even seem surprised---and she offers me a severance package so generous that I can take my time figuring out what the next phase of my life looks like. Our life. Rika and I will do this together, whatever "this" turns out to be.

  A few days later, Chance and Elena pick us up at the airport in the jet they chartered, and we all fly to England. When we get to my parents' house, everyone is there, including Reese and Arden as well as Arden's parents, Elena's brother, and Rika's parents. I had them flown in from Sweden since I know Rika hasn't seen them in quite some time.

  One of the guests has stayed at the periphery, glancing around like he's uncomfortable.

  "Who's that guy?" Rika asks.

  "That's my cousin, Grey. He's a bit shy around strangers, and this is the first time he's met you, Arden, and Elena."

  "Couldn't his parents make it? You invited everyone else."

  "I let Chance and Elena do the inviting." I slip my arm around her waist. "But Grey never knew his mother, and his father died several years ago. We're all the family he has."

  "That's so sad. We should adopt him. Not literally, of course."

  "Let's talk about that later." I move in front of her and drop to one knee, pulling out a small box and flipping its lid up. "Fredrika Maria Solberg, I love you more than anything or anyone in the entire universe. You changed my life and showed me everything I'd been missing. I owe you my happiness, a debt I want to spend the rest of my life repaying. Will you marry me?"

  She bursts into tears. "Yes, Dane, of course I will. I love you so much."

  I slide the ring onto her finger.

  Reese whoops. Chance whistles. Their wives shriek and jump up and down. Rika's mother cries while her husband grins. Kyle Linwood pumps his fists in the air
and grunts like a gorilla or...something. My mother and father rush up to us to hug me, then Rika, then me again. My mother is crying too.

  Grey shuffles up to us after everyone else has gone off to arrange some sort of celebration that I'm sure will be embarrassing. My cousin shakes my hand and kisses Rika's cheek. "Congratulations. And welcome to the family, Rika."

  "Thank you." She kisses his cheek. "I hope we'll get to know each other a lot better."

  "I'd like that."

  My fiancée wants to take Grey under her wing. I love that she cares so much about a man she's just met, simply because he's my cousin. Rika is wonderful in every way.

  A few more people arrive for the party, but most of them are mates of Reese and Chance. I don't have any close friends, but I plan to change that.

  Rika sidles up to me and whispers, "Who's the hottie talking to Chance? Another cousin?"

  "No, that's Richard Hunter. He and Chance have known each other since university. Richard owns a publishing company that he inherited from his father."

  "Hmm. Is he a nice guy?"

  "Seems to be, yes."

  "Is he married? Or does he have a girlfriend?"

  "Not that I know of."

  She lifts onto her tiptoes to peer across the room at Richard. "You know my sister, Maddie, is coming to visit us next week. And she's single too."

  "No meddling, Rika."

  She bats her eyelashes at me with fake innocence. "All I want to do is introduce them."

  I don't get the chance to order her not to meddle, because Reese approaches me. Rika leaves us alone while she wanders over to Richard.

  Reese grins and slaps me on the shoulder. "Told you, mate. I said you'd be next, and here you are volunteering for the ball and chain."

  Being chained to Rika doesn't sound like torture. I never want to let her go, so if a wedding ring shackles me to her, I absolutely do volunteer for it.

  "That's right," I tell Reese. "I'm signing up for that ball and chain, as long as it's attached to Rika for the rest of our lives."

  And if my fiancée has her way, Richard Hunter will be next.

  *****

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