TWELVE

Justine

"What are the—This is a ridiculous question." Ronan scowls.

"What is it?"

"It doesn't matter. We're doing the dare."

"Why? What did it say?"

"If you get a pass, then so do I." Ronan turns the card around to look at the action and I get a glimpse of the question: what do you look for in a partner? I can't understand why he won't answer that one. Then I realize that must be because he doesn't want a partner at all. He just doesn't want to ruin the program.

I'm still thinking about that when two large warm hands close over my shoulders and Ronan starts rubbing my neck. I let out a moan before I even realize I've done it. His thick thumbs dig into all the places on my neck and shoulders where I'm sore from last night.

"Stop that," he hisses under his breath.

"Stop what?" I'm not doing anything. I'm not the one who decided to get handsy.

"Moaning. I can't think when you do that."

I press my lips together, blushing furiously. "Then why are you—oh!" He finds another spot and my eyelids flutter closed. It"s so good.

Ronan sucks in a sharp breath behind me. His hands disappear from my shoulders and I almost cry out. I'm not ready for that to end.

"Just pick truth next time," he hisses and shoves another card at me.

I fumble with it, staring down at the question. Finally, another easy one. "What's your ideal holiday?"

Ronan barks out a laugh. "I don't take holidays. This is the closest thing I've had to a holiday in five years."

I blink at him. "Really? But you could afford to do anything. Go anywhere."

He shrugs. "Don't have time."

I chew on my lip while I think about this. I'm starting to get the impression Ronan is wound pretty tight. A holiday is probably exactly what he needs. Not that I'm going to say that to him of course.

"What about you?" he asks.

"Hmm? Oh! I love the idea of going overseas and traveling Europe. I think it would be romantic to visit the Eiffel Tower and eat gelato in front of the Colosseum."

Ronan huffs. "Of course you do."

I twist in his lap to look at him. "What do you mean, of course?"

He just shakes his head. "Don't make me spell it out. It's just the sort of thing you would love. My turn."

He takes the cards from me before I can protest and removes the top one from the pile. "Huh. Interesting."

"What?" I try to get a look, but he holds it up so I can only see the dare on the back: kiss.

Oh, God. I really hope this question is one I can answer.

"How important to you is sex in a long-term relationship?"

My mouth goes dry. I can't talk about this with Ronan on national television. I've never said this to anyone except Cameron, and when I did, he reacted like there's something wrong with me. Maybe there is. What kind of woman wants more sex than her boyfriend?

But the dare on the back of the card...

There's a long pause while I try to come up with an answer, dread rising up in my throat like bile.

"Well?" Ronan lifts a brow. "Come on, don't be shy. You can tell me. It's OK to say two out of ten."

I gaze down at the water again, flushing.

"Justine?"

I still can't answer.

"Justine? Do you—"

On impulse, I snatch the card from him. "Dare!" Before I have time to back out, I wrap my arms around his thick neck and bring my lips to his. Ronan goes completely still. I've made a hash of this since I rushed it. His mouth is a different shape than what I'm used to, and for a second I don't know what I'm doing. Then I close my eyes and just do whatever I can to end the awkward, frozen moment. I slide my lips along his. He groans. Next second, his hand tightens on my waist and pulls me closer. Then Ronan takes over the kiss. His lips caress mine. His tongue teases into my mouth and my head is swirling like the bubbles in the spa, my heart pounding as he devours my mouth.

Ronan's hand slides down over my ass in the tiny bikini. I open my mouth wider to protest, but he uses the opportunity to slick his tongue against mine. I moan.

Then a very large, very insistent bulge presses against my hip and I gasp.

There's no way that can be anything other than his cock. It's hard to tell at this angle, but it's bigger than I imagined. Bigger than it felt when I fell into his lap that day in his office.

Ronan breaks away, cursing. He lifts me off his lap and sets me down again on the seat in such a hurry water sloshes over the side again, drenching everything. Then he snatches his robe from the side of the spa, launches himself out of the water, and wraps it hastily around himself. He snaps at me and the crew alike. "We're done here. I hope you got what you wanted."

The room goes silent. Camera crew and the producer all watch Ronan storm from the spa.

I'm left shaken, lips still tingling from his kiss. That's not the only part of me tingling either. Pressing my thighs together beneath the water, I bring my fingertips to my swollen lips.

It's probably a really, really bad thing I liked kissing him that much. Liked the feel of his big hands on me, pulling me closer. Liked the sound of his groan with his mouth on mine.

I'm a little shaky as I climb out of the tub. The kind lady from costuming hands me my towel and gives me a little smile. "Don't worry. He's just being a bull." She makes a fanning gesture in front of her face. "That was hot! It's going to make great viewing."

Oh, shit, I'd forgotten all about being filmed when I did that. Now, I have to worry about my mom watching me kiss my minotaur boss on national television when this airs. If I still have a job by then, that is.

I tap on the door to our hotel room. "Ronan?"

"What?"

"Can I come in?"

There's a pause. Then I hear his hooves on the floor and a moment later the door opens.

I try to step into the room, but since he doesn't move, we end up crowded beside the door. He shuts it behind me. His huge form towers over me. He slams a hand against the wall behind me and leans in close. "What the fuck was that?"

I quiver. "I—I don't know." My lip trembles. It's weak and I hate it, but I'm close to tears.

"I thought we agreed on boundaries, Justine. So what the fuck was that?"

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. I don't know what got into me. I just couldn't answer the question, and that was the dare and—"

My words dissolve into the tears I was holding back and I can't look at him anymore.

He places a big hand on my shoulder. I pause mid-sob and stare down at it, then back at him.

"I'm sorry, too. I'm not blameless. I know that. I...broke the rules, too. I'm just finding this situation a little hard to navigate." He lets out a long breath.

I let out mine, too.

"Uh same."

We stare at each other for a moment until I remember his huge soft lips on mine and have to look away.

Ronan steps aside and I enter the room. I still have the towel tucked around me and I keep a firm grip on the edge so it doesn't slip down and reveal the swimsuit.

When I come out of the bathroom, I'm surprised to see him sitting on the end of the bed. He's back to looking all put together. Casual chinos and an unbuttoned white shirt over a singlet with a heavy chain around his neck. He's sitting with his hands folded together between his legs and he looks up when I come out. "So, are we going to talk about it?"

I freeze. "About the question I couldn't answer? Nope? No, thank you. We're good. Boundaries and all that." I laugh awkwardly.

I'm so relieved when Ronan answers that it's not until afterward I wonder what he means. "Good. Then I guess there's no need to talk about anything else either."

There's a knock on the door. "Hello, you two. It's nearly time for the romantic picnic dinner. Are you dressed?"

Ronan gets up from the bed and goes to the door. "Come on. No rest for the wicked."

I follow him out the door, wondering if he meant me or him.