by C. Morgan
“I am.”
I closed a hand over hers. “Are you still close with your father?”
Natalie looked away and I wished I hadn’t asked the question. Based on the far-off look in her eyes and the slight tremor of her bottom lip, I already knew the answer.
“My dad died when I was fourteen,” she said. “He was a long-haul trucker. He spent a lot of time away from home providing for me and my mom. And he always promised that he would come home. But one time, he didn’t. His brakes went out. He drove off the side of the road in winter conditions and he died alone in the cab of his truck. When they found him…” She broke off.
I pulled her close. “I’m sorry.”
She wiped away a tear. “I don’t talk about him much. He was my whole world. I looked at him the way Cora looks at you. I knew I would be okay because I had him. But then all of a sudden, I didn’t. And I… I couldn’t cope with that. I went down a bad path for a long time because I was so angry. When things got bad and I was in that relationship, my ex used to leverage that over me. He used to tell me I needed him, and I believed him because the only other person who could save me was gone. So I stayed.” Her expression hardened. “My dad would have told me to get my head out of the sand and kick his sorry ass to the curb if he’d been alive to know how badly that man treated me. Part of me is glad he wasn’t there. He’d have been ashamed of me.”
“No,” I said firmly. Fury at the man who’d hurt her and told her those lies burned hot inside me. I kissed the top of her head. “He wouldn’t have been. He would’ve wished he could have saved you. Even if you didn’t need saving. It’s a father’s way.”
Natalie drew her knees up and curled against me. “You won’t lose her, Rylen. Not to time and not to Logan. Do you believe me?”
I gazed down at the beautiful woman in my arms. How had I gotten lucky enough to stumble into her? How had Grady of all people pulled this miracle out of his ass?
“I believe you,” I whispered.
I wiped a tear from her cheek and pulled her close against my chest. I listened to her breathing and rested my chin on her head. Beside us, the tree winked and glittered. I didn’t know how much time passed. It could have been minutes, and it could have been an hour, but eventually, we got up and poured ourselves some more wine.
When we returned to the living room, we sat cross-legged on the floor at the coffee table and played cards by the light of the tree. Christmas music played in the background and my thoughts stayed focused on the present moment. All I could hear and see was Natalie. Her soft laughter danced around in my head as she kicked my ass at cards. Unsurprisingly, she was not a humble winner.
At some time in the night, we reached the point where we’d both had too much wine and I knew she wouldn’t be driving herself home. She’d be staying with me.
For that, I was glad because I’d been itching to take that green sweater off her all damn night.
Chapter 25
Natalie
I threw down another winning hand in our game of Spades.
Rylen blinked at my cards on the coffee table, frowned at the ones in his hands, and looked morosely up at me. “You have to be cheating. We’ve been at this for two hours and I’ve yet to win a single hand.”
I cracked my knuckles and flexed my fingers. “I don’t cheat. I kick ass.”
Rylen tossed his cards down. They scattered across the glass. “If Cora ever asks you to play Go Fish with her, either politely decline or give her a win every now and then. This kind of loss is humiliating.”
I giggled. “Do you really think I’d take joy in beating your daughter at cards the way I’m taking joy in beating you?”
He peered up at me from beneath his brows. “I did until you asked that question.”
I snorted. “Please, it’s significantly less fun humiliating a child. But you? I could do this all night.”
Rylen laughed and shook his head at me as he stretched and rolled his neck. We’d been sitting on the floor for a couple of hours now and my body was feeling a bit sore, too. The Christmas tree at my back remained lit and we’d made it all the way through our bottle of wine to open a second, of which we’d each only had one glass.
I wasn’t sure about Rylen but I definitely felt the effects. My mind was a little slow and a little hazy, like all my sharp edges had been erased and slightly blurred. My cheeks were pleasantly warm and my lips tingled.
Rylen uncrossed his legs. “Should I pour us another glass?”
“I think I should stop while I can still see straight.”
He stretched his long legs out in front of him and studied me. “I’m glad you accepted our invitation today. I had a lot of fun. So did Cora. I’m sure she’ll be talking my ear off about it all day tomorrow.”
“As she should.” I began untying my hair from the braid I’d worn it in all day. It was still damp when I put it up but it had dried in the hours I’d been here. I raked my fingers through my roots to shake out the curls, and I loved the way Rylen watched me. I could smell my shampoo all around, lavender and mint, and wondered if he could smell it too. I stole a glance at the clock on the wall above the archway into the foyer. My eyes widened in surprise. “It’s two in the morning?”
“Time flies when you’re with good company.”
I rubbed at my eyes before remembering I was wearing mascara. Black smudges came away on my fingertips. Grumbling, I ran my thumbs under my eyes to wipe away the damage. “I should get out of your hair. I didn’t mean to stay so late. I probably have a thousand missed calls from Victoria.” I reached for my purse where it sat on the floor beside the sofa and rummaged through the pockets for my phone.
“You can’t drive,” Rylen said.
I found my phone, pulled it out, and grimaced. Three missed calls and six text messages from my best friend. Most were accusatory and demanding an apology for running off with Rylen without giving her a heads-up. I texted her back while simultaneously responding to Rylen. “I can call a cab.”
“Nonsense.”
I pinched my tongue between my teeth as I finished my apology text message and hit send. When I looked up at Rylen, he was on his hands and knees, coming toward me across the carpet with a devilish grin on his lips.
I narrowed my eyes. “Down boy.”
He grabbed my calves and pulled me toward him. My ass probably left drag marks on the carpet. I giggled and he straddled my legs and leaned over them to kiss me.
“You can stay with me,” he said softly.
How was I going to say no to him when he was trailing kisses down my neck? Better yet, how was I supposed to say no when one of his hands was wandering up the inside of my thigh? He nipped at my lips in a demanding plea to say yes.
“I just told Victoria I was on my way home,” I said breathlessly.
Rylen’s hand met the groove of my hip. “Tell her you lied. Tell her you have plans.”
My body temperature shot up several degrees. “Plans?”
He nodded slowly. His hand cupped my pussy over my leggings. He massaged me gently, the heel of his hand pressing firmly against my clit. “Plans.” His voice was gravelly now. “With me. In my bed. Naked.”
“Is that really a good idea? Maybe we should wait.”
“It’s the least you could do to make up for demolishing me at six rounds of Spades.”
“And three hands of Golf,” I added.
His laugh rumbled in his chest. “I was hoping you’d forgotten.”
“Never.”
Rylen reached up and cupped my chin in his free hand. “I’ve been thinking about everything I want to do to you all damn night.”
“Beat me at cards?”
“Smart ass.”
He leaned in and pulled my face toward him. We crashed together and I reached over his head to work his shirt off. We laughed breathlessly as it got caught up under his chin. I teased him that those were the consequences of having a strong jawline.
At that, he scooped me up in his arms an
d carried me out of the living room to the master bedroom. The lights were out, and it was difficult for me to get my bearings, but I didn’t give a damn. All that mattered was him.
He tossed me down on the bed.
I heard him unzip his jeans and pull them off. While he stripped, I pulled my leggings down and tossed them over the edge of the bed. My panties were next, but I never had time to take my sweater and bra off. Rylen descended upon me for more kisses. He spread my legs, planted his knee between them, and took my sweater off for me.
Lying beneath him in nothing but my bra, I stretched my arms over my head in a display of vulnerability. “I’m all yours.”
Rylen shuddered before leaning forward. He planted one hand beside my head. Instinctively, I gripped his wrist. His other hand trailed down the length of my stomach and lower still until his fingers grazed my clit. I was already wet for him. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips before his touch moved down a little farther. He pressed a finger inside me.
My grip on his wrist tightened.
Rylen kissed me while he fucked me. The kisses started out slow and tender, but they deepened and became more frantic as the minutes passed and our self-restraint gave way to lust. He stretched me with another finger and it became damn near impossible for me to keep my composure. The hand that had been braced against the mattress beside me now fell over my mouth to keep me silent while he fucked me hard and fast until my own come slicked my inner thighs.
He patted my pussy. I flinched every time. A chuckle left him. I had half a mind to tell him off for laughing, but the other half of my mind was dull and glowing from my orgasm.
I planted my hands against his chest and pushed him off of me. Rylen went with a furrowed brow and rolled off the edge of the bed. I didn’t let him go far as I rolled onto my stomach and inched toward the edge of the mattress. I guided him back to me and gazed up at him. His cock hung hard and ready inches from my face.
I ran my tongue along my lips and opened my mouth for him.
A growl escaped him. The sound was primal and wild, and all my nerve endings tingled with arousal.
“Please,” I cooed.
He stepped in closer. Teasing him, I grazed my lips over the tip of his cock. He reached down and ran his fingers through my hair to pull it gently off my face. His touch was affectionate, warm, and steady. As I took him in my mouth, I knew I trusted him in this moment more than I trusted myself.
I worked him over and showed off my skills. He watched me like he’d never received head before. I doubted that was the case but I let myself feel a little cocky that I might be the best he’d ever had. I brought myself all the way down his shaft until the tip of my nose touched his lower stomach. He groaned. A curse of pleasure dripped from his lips.
His hands were in my hair again. He pulled it up off my back. I moaned around him buried in my throat. I needed more and he was about to give it to me. He thrust his hips, steady and shallow at first, and when I was ready, he gave me all of him. I held his gaze. It was damn near impossible but I did it.
When he couldn’t take it anymore, he pulled me off him and used my hair to guide me where he wanted. He brought me up to my knees, turned me around, and pushed me forward so I landed flat on my stomach on the mattress. I lifted my hips off the bed and arched my back, knowing all the right angles to make my body even more irresistible to men. He slapped my ass.
It surprised me. Rylen didn’t strike me as the sort to mix pain and pleasure. I managed to hold on to the yelp that nearly escaped and bit down on the blankets as he slapped me again. The sharp sting and the steady hum of pleasure in my body were a euphoric combination. I lifted my ass higher, wiggled my hips, and dared him to either slap me again or fuck me.
I looked over my shoulder when I heard a nightstand drawer open. He rummaged around and muttered a string of curses. I giggled breathlessly and waited, still lying on display for him as he tried to put his hands on a condom.
I realized it had probably been a long time since he brought a woman home. Dimly, I wondered if he’d brought anyone home since his divorce. Was I the first girl in his bed since his ex-wife?
Why did that stir even more desire inside me?
He found a condom, tore open the wrapper, and rolled it on. He barked at me to stay where I was when I went to roll over. He knelt on the bed, my thighs trapped between his knees, dropped over me, and guided his cock between my thighs. He pressed up against my swollen pussy and slid inside. My fingers tightened on the top of his duvet. I hung my head and stifled a moan as he pressed in as deep as he could. My muscles tightened.
Rylen ran a hand up my spine before gripping the back of my neck. He applied pressure and pressed his thumbs into the muscle between my neck and shoulders. “Relax,” he breathed in my ear.
I melted into the mattress at his command. Tense muscles turned to putty as he straightened, gripped my hips, and pushed me down hard into the bed. His momentum gathered until his rhythm was deep and fast. He drove into me over and over. My pussy screamed for more because I couldn’t. I could hear how wet I was over the creaking bed frame and his rugged breathing behind me.
He pressed down on my hips harder so he could hold me in place and bury himself in all the right places. My head started to spin and the bedroom melted away. Closing in on another climax, I gathered the blankets up under me and buried my face in them to muffle the scream that tore from my throat when I finally broke.
I screamed his name.
It pushed him over the edge, too. We were both spent when he bowed over me and kissed my shoulders and forehead. I tilted my head back to kiss his lips half upside down before he slid off of me to lie on the bed beside me. His chest rose and fell beneath his hand and he closed his eyes.
I rolled into my favorite spot under his arm and rested my cheek on his chest. “Just give me five minutes and I’ll get out of here.”
He lifted his head from the bed and looked down at me. “Get out of here?”
“Isn’t it overstepping if I stay? How do you think Cora would feel if she woke up tomorrow morning and I was still here? I don’t know if that’s fair to her.”
Rylen pinched the bridge of his nose. “I could sneak you out in the morning.”
I smiled and lifted my cheek to look up at him. “Although I like the thought of acting like teenagers again, I don’t think that’s the right route.”
Rylen ran a hand down my back and traced lazy figure eights up and down my spine with two fingers. “I’ll wake Cora in the morning and make her breakfast. I’ll ask what she thinks about you and if she’d mind if you spent the night every now and then. If it goes well, you can come join us for breakfast and maybe we can make this a regular thing.”
I liked all the words he was saying. I failed at wiping the smile from my lips. “And if it doesn’t go well?”
“You’ll leave quietly in the morning and we’ll bide our time until she warms up to the idea of you spending the night.” He stopped tracing patterns on my back and instead ran his fingers through my hair. “I know it might seem cruel to be dishonest but sometimes you have to protect kids and it doesn’t always feel like the right choice. But it is in this case. I think she’ll be happy to see you in the morning.”
She was his daughter. The call was his.
I bit my bottom lip. “So… I’m spending the night?”
He chuckled, rolled onto his side, and let his gaze rake up and down the length of my body. “Yes, you are. Hopefully more than just tonight.”
“You’ve definitely made it worth my time.”
He rolled out of the bed and padded across the bedroom to the adjoined bathroom, where he paused, framed in the shadowed doorway. I admired the lean lines of muscle in his back, his narrow waist, and his broad shoulders as he turned a smile my way. “I’m not finished with you yet.”
He disappeared into the bathroom and I smiled up at his ceiling like a sixteen-year-old in love for the first time.
I could get used to this.
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Chapter 26
Rylen
The last two weeks of my life had been better than the last four years, so as I stood in front of the mirror at the tailors in the suit I was wearing to Mona’s wedding, I didn’t feel as irritated or depressed as I had during my previous two fittings.
I felt steady and calm.
The tailor worked down on one knee on the hem of the pants while I faced the mirror and spoke to Clay’s reflection. He was out in San Francisco this week, playing a gig for a big event that he was pretty excited about. He’d been talking about it between interruptions by the tailor who’d ask me to turn or remind me to stand up straight.
Clay leaned back on the bench about six feet behind me and rested his left ankle over his right knee. He’d taken to dressing the part of a musician now that he’d hit consistent success with his music. Today, he was wearing slim fitting black jeans, polished black boots with buckles on them, a black button up, and a leather vest.
If Grady had been here, he’d have teased the shit out of him.
Lucky for Clay, it was just me, and I didn’t have it in me to tell him he looked a bit like rock-star wannabe. Even if he did, it kind of suited him.
“How’s Jack doing?” I asked. Clay and his wife, Beth, had gone through hell when they found out their son had compromised hearing. They’d gone through tests and dozens of doctor’s appointments, and in that time, their marriage was precariously hanging on by a thread. Beth had been over Clay and his inconsistent ways. Like me, he hadn’t prioritized his family. He’d fallen more in love with his career than his wife and child, but luckily for him, he was able to save his marriage and keep his family intact.
Some of us weren’t that lucky. Although after meeting Natalie, I had to admit I felt like a lucky son of a bitch.
“Jack’s good,” Clay said as he fidgeted with one of the silver buckles on his left boot. “He’s going to be a prodigy, you know. The kid hears sound differently than anyone else. And he’s getting into it early. I can feel it in my bones. I thought I was going to make music that changed the world—or at least one person’s life. Now I see the truth in it.”
