Without Warning: A Billionaire Romance (Playboys of New York Book 5), JA Low [book suggestions .TXT] 📗

giving me easy access. My fingers sink inside of her, and now it’s Ariana’s turn to moan while her eyes roll back inside her head. I need to be inside of her, and this water is getting in the way of that. I pick her up and place her ass on the edge of the tub and slide straight into her. I become lost in the sensations, feeling her warmth around me, taking me in deeper and deeper. Ariana’s moans become louder and louder until I’m unable to take it any longer, and we both crash over the edge together.

It takes us a couple of moments to regain our breaths.

“Hold on,” Ariana tells me as she jumps out of the hot tub with her hand between her legs, and she rushes into the bathroom.

What is she doing?

Then I watch as she grabs a towel and wipes herself clean before coming back out again with a wide grin on her face. She jumps back in and takes a seat beside me. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, and we both look up at the blue sky together, taking in the sounds of the birdlife around us.

“I never want to leave.” She sighs while cuddling into me.

“We don’t have to,” I tell her.

“Pretty sure the Davenport Group is going to miss their CEO.” She chuckles.

“All I need is Wi-Fi, and I’m set.” I contemplate running away to live on a tropical island.

“Maybe one day.” She sighs.

Ariana and I walk into the large dining room where everyone has taken their seats around the oversized dining table. There’s waitstaff walking around handing out cocktails. As I look over, Mom and Patrice look a little red in the cheeks. How many cocktails have they had already?

“Nice place.” Logan slaps me on the back.

That’s a huge compliment coming from him. Of all Ariana’s friends, he’s been the hardest one to win over, and I get it. His company and my company are in the same field of business, but I feel like we’re so different from each other that it doesn’t matter. Even if we weren’t, it still wouldn’t bother me. I run my own race and do not worry about anyone else.

“Thanks for having us.” Logan holds up his glass to mine as we clink them together. “And thanks for making Ariana happy, too,” he tells me before joining his family in the corner.

I’m in now.

I’ve one hundred percent become part of the group, and that thought makes me smile.

I clear my throat and tap a knife on the edge of my glass tumbler, gaining everyone’s attention.

“Thanks…” once the room has quietened down, I continue, “… I just wanted to say thank you all so much for coming down here…” reaching out, I place a hand on Ariana’s shoulder, “… and celebrating this new year in Ariana and my relationship.” I look down at Ariana, who gives me a loving smile. “She saved me this year.”

There’s a couple of aww’s from the table.

“Not sure there’s anything I could buy Ariana that would show her how much I love her.”

Ariana’s eyes become a little glassy as she takes in my heartfelt words.

“Then I realized the one thing she has wanted for such a long time, I could get it for her.”

Ariana frowns at my comment. I can see on her face that she’s trying to work out where I am going with this.

“Say hello to your parents.”

Ariana’s eyes widen as she takes in the sound of the doors opening and her parents walking through. She’s up off her feet and rushing toward them, with her sisters not far behind. The table erupts as they take in the scene before them all. Ariana’s friends send me praises, and Ariana is a bundle of tears as I walk over to her family, who are a weeping mess.

“Thank you.” Ariana wraps herself around me, burying her face into my chest. “I don’t know how to thank you because the words aren’t enough.”

I kiss the top of her forehead before I place a finger under her chin and lift her face to look at me. “You saved me, Ari. This is the least I can do for you.”

“He is a good man, Ariana.” Her mother comes over and hugs me.

“We weren’t sure at first,” her father adds.

“But when we spoke to Rhys on the phone, we could hear how much he loves you.” Her mother grins as she wipes the tears from Ariana’s cheeks.

“Plus, who can say no to all this,” her father adds, which makes us all laugh.

“He’s the best.” Ariana looks at me with so much love that my heart could burst. I’ve never had a woman look at me the way Ariana does, and the feeling has me knowing I can conquer anything with her by my side.

“Come, let’s eat.” Ushering in the Blanco family, I introduce them to everyone.

40

Rhys

New Year’s Eve

It’s been a couple of days since I surprised Ariana with her parents. Let me tell you, that night, she really showed me how grateful she was. Fingers crossed she will again as I have another surprise for her this evening.

Everyone is in great spirits as it’s New Year’s Eve, and the day has been great so far. All our families have gotten on really well, so much so that Mom’s going over to Barcelona to spend a couple of weeks with Ariana’s parents. This could either be great or a complete disaster. Who knows?

“Hey, you.” Audrey catches me in the kitchen, fidgeting around. “Are you okay? You seem weird.” She looks me up and down.

I asked everyone to dress formally tonight for the new year’s celebrations as I have something special planned. The ring box in my suit jacket feels like it’s a burning beacon, and everyone is looking at it.

Earlier today, I spoke to Ariana’s dad and asked him for her hand. He was surprised but gave me his blessing. That was the first hurdle for the evening.