“And she lied, too, I take it?” Riley guessed.
“I walked in on her with her ex, while the woman I thought was my girlfriend was going down on the woman she promised me was in her past.”
Riley leaned forward and placed her elbows on the table on either side of her plate, clasping her hands together.
“I get that you’ve had two experiences where someone hurt you because they lied. But I’ve never lied to you, Kinsley.”
“I know.”
“I haven’t made the best decisions where Elena was concerned, though, either,” Riley added and exhaled.
“What do you mean?”
“I shouldn’t have allowed her to walk all over me. I shouldn’t have let her get what she wanted. For that, I owe you an apology.”
“I do trust you, Riley.” Kinsley leaned forward, too. “I just can’t stand her.”
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?” Riley asked, leaning back in her chair.
“Because I thought we’d get there,” Kinsley replied. “We haven’t exactly been dating long. I guess I thought I could lose you because of that. You’d been with Elena for three years. You were going to buy a house with her, and then you weren’t.”
“Because of you,” Riley said. “I haven’t been completely honest with you, either.”
“Okaaay…” Kinsley lengthened the word.
Riley stood and said, “Say you’re sorry for not trusting me.”
“Riley, you know I am.” Kinsley reached for Riley’s hand, taking it in her own. “I’m sorry. I trust you.”
“Good. Then, come here.” Riley pulled Kinsley up by both hands.
“Riles, we haven’t finished–”
“Later,” Riley interrupted. “I have something to tell you, and I don’t want to do it at the table.”
Kinsley stared into Riley’s eyes as Riley pulled her toward the lounge chair off to the side of the table Kinsley had worked so hard to make look romantic. Riley motioned for Kinsley to sit on the lounge. When Kinsley did, Riley gave her shoulders a light shove to get her to lie down. Riley reached behind the chair and pulled.
“Oh,” Kinsley yelled as the chair moved into its flat position. Riley climbed on top of her, straddling her legs and placing her hands on either side of Kinsley’s head. “Now?”
“I want to say something to you. This is how I pictured doing it,” Riley said as she smiled down at her.
Kinsley gulped.
“I’ve missed kissing you,” Riley added.
Kinsley wrapped her arms around Riley’s neck, pulling her down, and said, “I’ve missed kissing you, too, but–”
Riley’s lips met her own. Kinsley shut up. She wouldn’t resist a kiss from her girlfriend after she’d been so worried she’d lost her. Her hands went to Riley’s hair. She undid it from the tie that had it held back tightly, allowing it to fall in waves over Riley’s shoulders. She moaned as Riley’s tongue entered her mouth, and she ran her hands through Riley’s hair. Riley deepened the kiss in return. Kinsley moved her hands to Riley’s shoulders, sliding the jacket off her shoulders. Riley shook it off and leaned up. Kinsley watched as Riley unbuttoned her blouse slowly. Her hands went to Riley’s hips, and she moved them slowly up and down against her girlfriend’s body, wanting her naked already, but also wanting Riley to take her time.
Riley’s shirt was tossed aside. Then, her bra joined it. Kinsley licked her lips at the sight of Riley’s breasts right in front of her. Riley undid the button on Kinsley’s jeans and unzipped them. Kinsley lifted herself up to allow Riley to pull off her shirt. She unclasped her own bra next and tossed it on the hardwood. Riley stood, and without words, she pulled at Kinsley’s shoes and jeans, until Kinsley was left just in her panties. After she was done with that, Riley divested herself of the rest of her own clothing. Then, she was climbing back on top of Kinsley. She kissed her deeply before reaching between Kinsley’s legs, feeling her already wet and ready.
“That thing I want to tell you, I want to be inside you when I do.” Riley slid two fingers down to her entrance and moved inside, causing Kinsley’s hips to lift up in response. “I want to feel you around me.”
“I hope it’s good then, because if this is how you give me bad news, it wouldn’t make–”
Riley thrust deeper inside her, stroking her girlfriend hard and fast as Kinsley stopped talking. Kinsley’s hips were lifting up just as Riley took her nipple into her mouth. Riley sucked hard as she continued to move inside Kinsley’s body. Her thumb joined in and began pressing into Kinsley’s clit, creating the perfect storm. Kinsley moaned loudly, gripped Riley’s back tightly, and held on as she climbed higher and higher.
Just as she was about to come, Riley said softly and into her ear, “I love you.”
Kinsley came at those words. She couldn’t hold it in any longer. Her orgasm tore through her as Riley continued to stroke her through it.
Riley repeated the three words over and over, “I love you. I love only you. I choose you.”
When Kinsley finally came down, Riley looked down at her. Her fingers were still buried inside. Her thumb was still on Kinsley’s clit, moving lazily over it, causing slight tremors with each movement. Kinsley just stared up at her with watery eyes.
“You just–”
“Said I love you. Yes, I did.” Riley said confidently. “Because I do, Kinsley. I’m in love with you. I belong to you.” She removed her hand from between Kinsley’s legs and placed it against her own chest as she leaned up. “This is yours, okay?”
Kinsley placed her hand over Riley’s. Riley moved her own hand on top of it and placed it back over her heart. She held it there tightly, allowing Kinsley to feel the thunder in her chest.
“Okay.” Kinsley stared into those eyes she’d always been able to fall into. “I love you, too.”
Riley smiled. Then, in rapid succession, she dropped Kinsley’s hand and leaned down to whisper, “Then, stop being such a pain in the ass and just be with me.” She smiled again.
“I’m sorry,” Kinsley replied with a chuckle. “And I will.”
CHAPTER 28
When Riley woke the next morning, it was to an odd sensation. No, it wasn’t odd. It was good. It was definitely good.
“Oh,” she uttered when it dawned on her.
Her eyes snapped open at the thought. She lifted the blanket that had been covering her up to her waist and looked down at Kinsley, who had just licked from her entrance up to the very tip of her clit. Then, Kinsley’s eyes opened, and she smiled.
“Good morning,” she said with a smirk.
“Good morning,” Riley replied, lifting the blanket entirely away from Kinsley in order to see more.
“Can I continue?” she asked as she kissed Riley’s clit.
“Absolutely,” Riley replied with a wide smile before she closed her eyes and laid her head back against the pillow.
Kinsley’s tongue went back to work. She stroked her softly, as if to welcome her slowly into the morning. Riley’s hand went to the back of Kinsley’s head. She didn’t grip it or try to hold it in place, though. She merely played with the soft hair, enjoying the subtle caresses that had her moving toward a slow-building orgasm. Riley’s eyes opened to watch Kinsley’s head move up and down, and then side to side. Riley loved this woman. She couldn’t help but think about how her life had changed so much in recent months. She tried not to, as Kinsley’s fingers slid inside her. She tried to only focus on Kinsley’s movements and the feelings they caused, but she couldn’t only focus on them. She thought about how Elena had initially been a decent girlfriend, but she’d never been a great one. It would have been impossible for her to be great. She was too focused on herself and her own priorities to ever be a great girlfriend; to ever view Riley as a true partner.
Kinsley, though – her jealousy aside – was a great girlfriend. Her tongue slid down and then all the way back up; again, slowly. Kinsley’s fingers curled inside her, causing Riley’s hips to lift. She gasped
. She loved this. She loved coming slowly like this. She’d never told Kinsley that. Somehow, her girlfriend just knew. As Riley’s hips lifted again, and her hand tightened in Kinsley’s hair, her phone rang on the table next to the bed.
“Don’t even think about it,” Kinsley said, lifting her head and giving Riley a glare that told her in no uncertain terms not to pick up that phone.
The phone continued to ring until it went to voicemail. Riley didn’t dare pick it up. She couldn’t even if she wanted to, though. As Kinsley’s tongue had sped up and increased its pressure, Riley’s phone rang again.
“Jesus,” she exclaimed, but not because of the phone.
Kinsley’s fingers moved faster and deeper. Riley met Kinsley’s eyes as they stared up at her. The phone went to voicemail again. Riley lifted herself up to increase the pressure on her clit. She was ready now. She wanted to come. The slow build was too much.
“Are you ready?” Kinsley stopped to ask.
“Yes.” Riley held onto Kinsley’s head tightly. “Yes. Yes,” she gasped out. “Right there.” She held onto Kinsley’s head harder. “Deeper.”
Kinsley’s fingers straightened inside her. She pushed them deeper until Riley was certain she’d never felt this good, this full, this complete in her entire life. Riley came on a deep thrust as Kinsley sucked on her clit. Riley’s hips lifted up higher than before. Kinsley’s free arm pressed down on her abdomen, continuing her touches until Riley finally came all the way down. She kissed up Riley’s abdomen, stopping at her breasts to suck on one nipple followed by the other. She kissed Riley’s neck, her chin, and then Riley’s lips. Riley tasted herself. She kissed Kinsley back hard and deep as the phone rang for the third time.
“I’m going to throw your phone away. That’s okay, right?” Kinsley asked somewhat seriously as she stared down at Riley.
“Let me just see who it is.” Riley reached awkwardly to the table as Kinsley tried to kiss her skin everywhere she could reach with her mouth. Riley grabbed for the phone. “It’s an unknown number.”
“Perfect. It’s not important. We can keep doing what we’re doing,” Kinsley replied.
“We can, but we need to do this in the shower. I have a meeting this morning,” Riley revealed.
“Shower sex?” Kinsley lifted up. “I can do shower sex.”
Riley laughed at her adorable girlfriend and replied, “I’m glad.”
Riley had her pressed against that shower wall moments later, driving her fingers deep into Kinsley. Her lips were on Kinsley’s pulse point. She knew she’d likely leave a mark. She didn’t care. In fact, she wanted to leave a mark. For the first time in her life, she wanted to mark a woman as her own. She sucked, lifted her lips away, and noticed the redness. She kissed the spot gently before moving to Kinsley’s mouth. The water had cooled slightly since they’d climbed into the shower. They’d cleaned one another first before Riley couldn’t wait any longer; her thigh pressed between Kinsley’s. She applied more pressure while she rubbed her own center over Kinsley’s thigh, needing to come again just from touching this woman in this way.
“Riley,” Kinsley whispered. “I’m coming.”
Riley thrust harder, pressing her thigh as closely as she could to give Kinsley what she needed. Riley pressed her own center harder. Kinsley gripped her ass, helping her get that friction she craved. Kinsley moaned and said her name again, causing Riley to go over the edge right behind her. When they’d toweled off and moved back into the bedroom, Riley’s phone rang yet again.
“What’s going on, Riles?” Kinsley asked.
“I don’t know. It’s from an unknown number again. Should I just answer it?”
“Maybe it’s a wrong number? Just let them know, and they’ll leave you alone.”
“Hello?” Riley said into her phone.
“Riley Sanders?”
“Who’s this?” Riley asked.
“Cynthia Garrett from Dallas 6 News,” the woman replied. “I was hoping to catch you–”
“You’re a reporter?”
“Regarding Elena Ri–”
“No comment,” Riley said. “And please don’t call here again.”
Riley hung up the phone and glanced toward Kinsley, who was pulling underwear out of her drawer.
“Reporter?”
“Yeah,” Riley replied, staring at her phone.
She stood there naked, going to her voicemail app and checking the five messages she had on her phone. Two of them were from that same reporter. The third was from a reporter in San Antonio. The fourth and fifth were from two different stations in Austin.
“How’d they get your number?” Kinsley asked, moving to stand behind her, wrapping her arms around Riley’s waist.
“I don’t know,” Riley replied. “I asked Elena to take care of this.”
“Maybe she’s tried,” Kinsley said and kissed Riley’s shoulder.
“I’m sorry, what?” Riley turned in Kinsley’s arms, tossing her phone on the bed. “Did you just assume something good about my ex-girlfriend?”
“I’m trying to be a better current girlfriend,” Kinsley answered with a slight smile. “And she stopped by my office. We talked.”
“What? Elena stopped by your office? When?”
“When I was being a dumbass,” Kinsley said. “She apologized to me. It’s clear she still has feelings for you, but she realizes it’s over. I think she’ll leave you alone now.”
“She apologized to you?” Riley asked.
“For trying to come between us, yes.”
Riley’s arms went around Kinsley’s waist, and she said, “I don’t know how this is going to go, with the news of her running and the fact that she and I used to date, but it might require me to see her again. I told her I didn’t want to. I asked her to handle this. But I want you to know.”
“I understand.” Kinsley kissed her lips gently. “Do what you need to. I’ll be here. And I promise, I won’t freak out again,” she added.
Riley kissed Kinsley’s lips sweetly, then pulled back and stared at her girlfriend.
“I’m sorry. I’ll do what I can to keep you out of this,” Riley said.
“I don’t care about the reporters, Riles. I care about you. If you need me by your side, I’ll be there. If this is something you need to deal with yourself, I’ll give you the space to do that.”
“I promise, this has nothing to do–”
“Riles, I get it. I was being stupid before. I almost lost you because I hadn’t dealt with my own issues. Of course, it is a little bit your fault.” She smiled playfully.
“I know. I should have–”
“Riles, I was kidding. I mean, I wasn’t; but I was.” Kinsley kissed her lips again. “I just meant that I don’t think you really understand how much I liked you back then.”
“In college?”
“Yes, in college. After college, too, though. You’d come into town to visit your parents or something. I’d see you hanging out with Reese or Remy. It was like I’d start right up again. I’d see you laugh about something and I’d be gone all over again. You’d leave, and it would take me a while to get you out of my mind.” Kinsley paused, running her hand up and down Riley’s bare back. “I think part of the reason I worried so much about Elena, other than you deserve better than how she treated you, was because I wasn’t sure I deserved you, either. I’ve always wanted you, Riley. I never thought I’d get to have you like this, though.”
Riley leaned in and pressed their foreheads together before saying, “I love you. You do deserve me. We deserve each other in the best way, Kinsley.”
Kinsley leaned in and kissed her once more.
◆◆◆
Riley couldn’t make it inside her office without being confronted by reporters. There were three news vans outside her building. She could see as many reporters standing off to the side, likely, waiting for her to arrive. Riley picked up her phone and dialed Elena’s number.
“Where are you?” she asked.
“At the hotel. My flight doesn’t leave for a few hours. What’s wrong?” Elena asked.
“The press is hounding me, Elena. I’ve had, like, eight phone calls this morning alone. The reporters are outside my office right now. I can’t even get inside without being asked a million questions. I have a meeting with a client in ten minutes,” Riley explained.
“I’m sorry, Riley. I issued a comment last night that you and I aren’t together, but they don’t seem to care.”
“Where’d you comment?” Riley asked, moving the phone away from her ear to open her browser.
“I had my press secretary release it,” she replied.
Riley went to the site she knew and found the brief comment. She then searched Elena Rivera, and that local government website was the only result that had anything related to that comment.
“Elena, it’s only on your site. It’s not wide yet,” Riley said. “You need to do more.”
“I will, as soon as I get back.” She paused. “Riley, I promise. I will take care of this for you, okay?”
“I don’t want it to impact Kinsley, Elena. I’m worried they’ll find out about her, and I don’t want that. We’re just starting out. I don’t want–”
“To scare her away? I take it, you two talked.”
“Yes. And she told me you apologized to her. Thank you,” Riley said.
“It was the least I could do.”
“Can you do the most you can do now, please?” Riley asked.
“As soon as I get back to Dallas, I’ll issue another statement. I’ll make sure everyone in Texas sees it and hears it. The press knows I’m here now. That’s why they’re in Tahoe. I’ll have my press secretary issue a statement that I was taking a weekend away before the race begins. We’ll leave your name out of it. I’ll make sure they know I’m heading back to Dallas. That should be enough to drag them away,” Elena replied.
Time of Day Page 20
