She thought about the timing of that event and noted that the last time they were intimate was after she got drunk with Heidi and Barb. He didn’t say anything then, and she wondered if he was repulsed by it.
“Riley, when we, um, make love, I can leave my top on to cover it. You don’t have to look at it. It’s repulsive.”
“Huh? It’s not repulsive, and you won’t need to leave your top on. Stuff like that does not bother me. It bothers me that he got away with it and hurt you so badly, not only physically, but emotionally, but the scar doesn’t bother me in the least, unless you have pain with it.”
“Really? You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?” Marissa asked, tears filling her eyes.
“Of course not. I’m not that way, Marissa. Your scar is a part of you, a part of your past. I’m hoping you will eventually be willing to leave the past behind you and forge a new beginning with me someday.”
Marissa’s heart swelled with love for the man that sat before her. She felt blessed and thrilled, for the first time in years. She reached over and grasped his hand. He quickly put his other hand on top of hers and held it tightly.
“Do you have any long-term medical conditions or problems as a result of his attack on you?”
“No. Just the ugly scar.” She squeezed her eyes shut for a second.
“Good, but I want you to know, that if you do have any discomfort or pain, we will deal with it together. Do you understand that?”
“Yes.” She smiled weakly at him.
Riley looked as if he was struggling with something when he said, “There’s something I want to say, but I’m afraid I’ll scare you away.”
“I’m not going anywhere, Riley.”
He looked deeply into her eyes. “Are you sure about that?”
“Yes, I’m definitely sure about that.”
“Marissa. I…I’m deeply in love with you. I have been ever since the first time I saw you on your porch that day I came to check your place out to see who was moving around in there.”
“It couldn’t have been as soon as that. We were barely civil with each other!” Marissa laughed.
“No, it’s true. I was smitten by you that day. But you were pretty resistive to me for a while.”
“Yes, I was.”
“Is it too soon for you to have some feelings for me?” Riley asked. Marissa could see he was wearing his heart on his sleeve.
“Riley, I love you too.”
His eyes opened wide. “Really?”
“Yes.”
“When did you know this?”
“I think the day we went swimming in the river with the inner tubes. I had so much fun with you, and I saw how you handled little Stephanie, and my heart swelled then, seeing you with that little girl, and I knew you’d never hurt any child, or another human being for that matter. But it took a lot of talking with Heidi before I could finally come to the realization that everything was safe. Everything was fine. I was going to be okay, and I was going to be here with you.”
Chapter 22
Riley reached over and stroked the side of her face and her hair. The feel of his hand on her face sent little slivers of chills down to the deepest part of Marissa’s being. Holding her gaze, he brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. He kissed each of her fingers and licked them gently. His lips went up the back of her hand to her wrist.
He moved the chair out and pulled her up from hers to sit on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled at him as he kissed her lips. His lips increased the pressure on hers until he was able to run his tongue over her lips and the inside of her mouth. She felt sweet sensations throughout her body as she let him further into her mouth and she tasted his tongue. She ran her hand through his thick brown hair at the back of his head, loving the feeling of his hair running through her fingers.
Riley’s hands roamed over her back and her skin tingled wherever he touched. She wrapped her arms around him as he continued to kiss her. He moved his lips to the side of her face and made a trail of kisses along her jawline until he got to her neck. Thrills of delight raced through her blood as his lips left a searing path to the base of her neck. Her hands lightly caressed his broad chest and his shoulders, then down his back.
She wanted to feel him. She needed to feel him. Clothing was standing between them. She stood up, grabbed his hands, and pulled him so he arose. She brought her hands around to the front and unbuttoned his shirt. She was shaking and nervous, but also excited and anxious to get close to his skin. She got all the buttons undone and slid the shirt off his shoulders. He pulled the shirt up from inside his jeans and tossed it onto the chair next to him. Her gaze raked over his chest, his packed abs, and taut nipples. She leaned over, put one of his nipples in her mouth, and gently suckled it. He pulled her tight against him, and she could feel his erection against her stomach.
Riley moaned. “Marissa, I want to see all of you,” he said, his voice tender.
“I want to see all of you too,” she whispered.
He pulled her tank top over her head, exposing her skin and her bra. His hands roamed her flesh, touching it like it was a delicate flower, then he brought his hands up to her breasts. Her nipples went hard at the touch of his hand through the lacy bra. He wrapped his hands around her sides to the back, unhooked the bra, and flung it off to the side so her breasts were exposed for his view.
“Marissa, they are beautiful. Look, lovely rosebuds,” he whispered as his thumbs stroked her nipples.
A jolt of pleasure coursed through her body at his touch. He bent slightly to kiss and suckle her breasts. Marissa’s panties were getting wet from her heat at the very core of her being. She let out an erotic moan as Riley continued to tease and torment her breasts.
He lifted her up, carried her to the bedroom, and laid her on the bed. He continued kissing her breasts, then his lips seared a path to her navel. He unbuttoned her jeans, unzipped them, and slid them off. His hands roamed over her backside, cupping her butt as he moved himself below her navel. His hands slid inside her panties and slowly, seductively, he slid them off her legs.
After he tossed the panties aside, he looked at her and she opened her legs wide so he could see her. She had never been so brazen like this before. Her face was flushed, but she wanted him to see all of her, and she could tell by the look on his face he loved what he saw. He brought his hands back to her butt and slid them ever so slightly so his hands were between her legs while he continued to kiss her below her belly. She squirmed. She was so hot and wet, and her clit was demanding some attention. Riley slid his fingers through her folds, causing a ripple of sensations through her. He entered one finger in her, and she let out a whimper.
“Oh, Riley,” she moaned.
“Are you enjoying this?” His voice was husky.
“Oh yeah, I’m so hot, I’m on fire!”
Riley chuckled. “Let me see you come, honey.”
He slid his finger in deeper and massaged her swollen clit. He worked his finger in and out of her. He pulled his finger out, and she felt a rush of coolness until his lips were on her folds, licking her. Oh God. She thought she would explode from the pleasure. He moved his lips from her folds to her vagina, and he licked her juices and her clit. She let out a loud, erotic moan as she came, wave after wave of pleasure. Riley was working the lower part of her body over and over. His hands cupped her butt as he tasted, licked, and nipped her.
“That’s the way, babe, take every last bit of pleasure you can,” Riley coaxed lovingly.
“But I want you in me,” Marissa said breathlessly.
“It’ll come, sweetheart, I’ll be in you. I wanted you to have this pleasure so I could see you enjoy it.”
Standing, Riley unzipped his pants and slid them and his underpants down his hips and his legs, very slowly. Marissa gasped as she saw his shaft and how hard it looked. She leaned closer and ran her finger over it, watching it pulsating.
“You like what you see?” Ri
ley asked, affection glowing in his eyes.
“Oh yeah. Riley, let me have it.”
She put the tip of his shaft in her mouth and rolled her tongue around it. She then slid her tongue along the side of it to its base.
“Honey, I need to get inside you.”
She laid back in the bed and widened her legs. He put one leg between hers and kissed her breasts. He brought his other leg in so he was completely between her and guided his shaft to her entrance. She loved the feel of his rough legs between her.
“Are you ready, honey?” he said, his voice tender.
“Yes, I am,” she whispered.
Riley reached over for a condom from the nightstand next to his bed, opened the package, and slipped it on.
Riley slid his shaft into her, and the minute he touched her clit with his shaft, she exploded into a million little stars. “Oh, Riley. Oh,” she kept repeating over and over. Just when she thought it couldn’t get any better, he put her over the edge.
Riley began a rhythm, going in and out to the tip of her vagina and going in again. Each thrust went a little further, until he couldn’t go any deeper. She met thrust after thrust with her pelvis until Riley groaned his release.
“Marissa, baby, I never had such an intense release,” he said while gasping for breath.
Riley shifted to the side so he could still stay in her but not put his weight on her. Reveling in the fact that he was still inside her, and feeling his balmy skin, and taking in his scent, she snuggled in tight against him. She ran her hands over his chest, his flat stomach, and his strong arms.
“Riley, it was so wonderful,” she whispered in his ear.
“Hmm. Yes, it was, honey,” he murmured.
They drifted off to sleep, waking twice during the night, and making love both times.
The next time she opened her eyes the morning sun was shining through Riley’s bedroom window. She looked over at him and saw that he was awake and gazing at her with a smile on his face. She snuggled up to him and let out a sigh.
“So, what’s next?” she asked dreamily.
“You know the spirit is willing, but I just don’t think I have the strength to do it again after we did this three times already.”
“Shhh,” Marissa said, embarrassed. “That’s not what I mean.”
“Oh, and what were you talking about?”
“What are we going to do between now and the car show?”
Riley chuckled. “Well, I’ll fix us breakfast, and then I have to go to the office for a bit to see about the arrest warrants. I should be back in time for us to go to the car show. Will you be able to occupy yourself here for a few hours?”
“Of course I can occupy myself.”
Riley stood up and turned around to look at Marissa. Marissa’s heart did an odd beat as she looked him over. He was so masculine, so much a man, and she adored every inch of his body.
A corner of his mouth lifted. “I’m going to jump in the shower, honey. You can join me if you want, but we probably won’t get very clean.”
“Oh, I’ll get you clean.” Marissa hurriedly jumped out of the bed, laughing as she followed Riley into the master bathroom.
* * * *
Riley reached into the shower stall and turned the water on. Marissa came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his chest. He could feel her nude body against his back. He knew that there would be more going on besides using the shower for its intended purpose.
After an hour of playing in the shower, they both emerged and got dressed. Riley made the coffee and breakfast, and they ate at the wooden picnic table on the back porch.
“Riley, why don’t you take me to my house on your way to the office and I’ll grab some clothes for the next few days and bring my car up here?”
“Hmm, not sure if that’s a good idea. What if your ex shows up?”
“Well, I’ll only be a few minutes. I know exactly what I need to get, and I’ll be up here in less than five minutes.”
“Okay, if you promise to call me the minute you get to my house.”
“I will.” Marissa smiled at him.
Riley dropped Marissa off at her house. “Don’t forget to call me. If I don’t hear from you in a reasonable amount of time, I’m going to come looking for you,” Riley said.
“If you don’t hear from me, something’s wrong.”
Marissa leaned over and gave Riley a kiss before getting out of the cruiser and walking up to her house. She turned and waved at him.
Riley backed out of the driveway, went forward, and observed a car driving slowly up the road. Something about the car made his hair stand on end. He turned to go into town and head to the station.
Marissa should be calling him now. He sat in the car waiting. He waited five minutes, then ten. Finally, he muttered, “Oh hell no. Something’s wrong.”
He turned the car around and raced back onto Highway 17 and up to Marissa’s house. He saw the same car that he’d passed earlier. He knew she was in danger, and he could kick himself for giving in to her about stopping at her house to get her clothes. He should have stayed and went in with her and made sure she made it to his house. Damn. Why didn’t I listen to my gut instinct?
* * * *
Now that she’d given Riley all the information he needed about her ex-husband to check on him, Marissa felt calm. She went into the bedroom to grab a couple of outfits to wear to work and her makeup kit when there was a knock at the door. She assumed it was Riley coming back and she walked into the living room and opened the door. Mark was standing there staring at her.
“What do you want?” she asked, her calmness shattered.
“I stopped by to find out what your decision was. I told you I’d be back on Sunday.”
“Yes, well. You haven’t changed at all. You lied. Your father’s not ill. I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing or why, but I’m not interested. We will never get back together.”
“Please listen to me, Marissa. What I said to you about drinking is true. The part about my father...I was grasping at straws, trying to convince you to give us another chance.”
“Save it, Mark. I’m not interested.”
“We belong together. We’re a great team. I have big plans, plans to take you around the world and search out the best diamonds money can buy.”
“Your company went bust. You have no money.” Her stomach clenched tight.
“I have funds you don’t know about.”
“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.” Anxiety spurted through her. Riley, come back.
“Marissa, come on, listen to me. We can travel to the most exotic places. Just you and me. You loved me once. You can fall in love with me again.”
“I understand your favorite pastime now is coke and meth. Do you get violent when you take them?”
“It’s only recreational. I was so lost without you, and I gave up alcohol. With you in my life, I won’t do the drugs if you don’t want me to.”
“It’s not going to happen, Mark. I found out everything about you. How did you happen to know to show up at this time?”
“I watched the patrol car pull into your driveway and saw you get out.”
A chill went down Marissa’s back. “Mark, you have to leave. I’m supposed to meet someone within five minutes.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Mark said in a steely voice, his expression clouded in anger. “I’m not leaving here until I get answers from you.” He shoved her to the side and entered her house.
“Answers about what?” Marissa asked. She stood behind a dining room chair and gripped the back of it.
“I want to know what you did to get the investigation going against Heartland Diamonds,” he said in a nasty tone.
“I don’t know anything about what was going on at Heartland Diamonds,” Marissa said, remembering her conversation with Riley the previous night about Mark connecting the dots.
“You lie. You were the mole that reported us to the feds.”
&
nbsp; “I did not report you to any feds. I am not your mole.” Her heart pounded.
“You conveniently quit right before the federal government descended on us. You had to know something, and you had to have reported to someone,” he growled.
“You’re wrong about that. I admit I was suspicious that you were smuggling diamonds, but I had no proof of it. I did not report you to any federal department.” Worry snaked through her. She knew if she didn’t call Riley he would come back to check on her, but would he make it there in time?
“You told someone,” Mark said in a snarl.
“Yes, I did tell someone, but not the federal government,” she blurted out without thinking. She instantly regretted it and felt a panic like she had never known before.
“Who did you tell?”
“I’m not telling you anything more. You need to leave.”
“Maybe I should beat it out of you if you’re not going to cooperate.”
Her blood ran cold. “Don’t you even dare think you’ll lay a hand on me ever again.”
“Or what? What the hell do you think you’re going to do?” He chuckled nastily.
“I’ll have you arrested and file charges.”
“I’ll be out of here faster than a speeding bullet after I get the information I want from you.”
“You will not lay one hand on her.” Riley’s voice was edged with control.
Mark spun around to face Riley. “Oh yeah, and who the hell are you?”
“I’m the sheriff. What are you doing here?”
Mark took a big swallow. “She has information that I want.”
“I think I just heard her say that she wasn’t going to tell you the information you came for.”
“Well, she is going to tell me,” Mark snarled.
“No, she’s not.” Riley’s voice was calm, his gaze steady as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“Yes, she is.”
“You got a problem. Now I suggest you get the hell out of this house and leave this county and not come back.”
“I fully intend to stay and get the information from her. You can’t make me leave,” Mark said, his hands balled up into fists.
Blue as Sapphires Page 24
