Second Chance Temptation

by Elizabeth Lennox

  Wiggling out of the sleeping bag, Ryan ignored the painful cold and pulled on winter running clothes. Five minutes later, he was out in the freezing air, running up the side of the mountain. Every time Cynthia popped into his head, he pushed harder. Needing the pain, he didn’t go around boulders, he climbed over them. Careful to place his feet so that he didn’t slip, he pushed himself to the limit. Faster. Five miles in, he turned around, heading back down the mountain. In some ways, going down was harder. An upward climb pushed one’s lungs. But a downward run pushed one’s upper thigh muscles.

  Ryan welcomed the pain. He used it to channel his sexual frustration and focus his mind. He thought about last night, about the longing in Cynthia’s eyes right before she’d stepped out of his Jeep. Hell, he hadn’t even walked her to the door. What an ass! He might be a jerk about not getting emotionally involved with the women in his past, but he’d always treated them with respect, always walked them to the door, and listened until they locked the door. Well, he’d done so on the nights when he wasn’t inside with the lady in question. He hadn’t lived the life of a monk since high school. There had definitely been ladies.

  Looking back, he realized that all of the women he’d dated had been either exactly like Cynthia, with long, blonde hair and longer legs. Or they were the exact opposite of her; short with dark hair. None had even come close to filling the void that Cynthia had left when she’d decided not to be home during his college breaks.

  Thinking about those ladies now, he realized that he’d been trying to find a substitute for Cynthia.

  Now, he was back and the real Cynthia was more alluring than ever. When she smiled, he smiled inside. When she talked, he couldn’t pull his eyes away from her lips. When she’d leaned over last night during dinner, he couldn’t keep his eyes away from the creamy swells of her breasts. Even now, he couldn’t remember what they’d talked about. Well, except for offering to help her refinish her floors at The Bull Frog.

  When he got back to his cabin, Ryan immediately started a fire in the big, stone fireplace. Almost immediately, the fire began to heat up the space. He’d gutted the inside of the cabin, and installed a makeshift sink and microwave along with a small fridge. He had electricity, but once he had the layout of the cabin ready, he would hire someone to come in and rewire the whole place. Until then, he made do with what he had. The shower was…rudimentary at best. Again, he had running water, but the shower consisted of a massive blue tarp to keep the water from the showerhead from spraying everywhere. A tiny mirror over a shelf helped him shave each morning.

  It was less than basic, but he wanted everything done right. He started work with the National Park Service in a few days and, until then, he’d work on getting things fixed up inside. Windows and insulation would be a priority. But he also wanted to expand. He imagined living here for a long time and that meant a place for kids. Lots of kids. If all of them had blond hair and brown eyes, he would consider himself a lucky man.

  Showered and shaved, Ryan pulled on jeans and more layers, prepared for another day of hiking. Another day with Cynthia.

  No kissing, he told himself firmly. In fact, he probably shouldn’t even touch her.

  Resolve set, he stepped out of his cabin, whistling as he made his way down the barely serviceable steps to his Jeep.

  Cynthia was ready when Ryan pulled up this time. She’d made sandwiches and had two big thermoses of hot chocolate. She hadn’t slept well again last night, thinking of Ryan and wondering what it would be like to make love with him. This friendship crap was a bit harder than she’d anticipated. Especially when every other thought was about him naked.

  Lifting her chin, she reminded herself that friendship was better. Friendship lasted longer than romantic interests. Friendship was good. Romance was…painful.

  He pulled up and she grabbed her backpack. She was just about to turn when she pulled the key out of her pocket and locked the door. Contrary to what she’d told him yesterday, she really did lock the door all the time. He was right, she had cash, not to mention alcoholic inventory. She not only locked her doors, but she locked the liquor up at night and had two safes. One was the safe everyone knew about and she initially stored the end-of-night cash in that safe. But once everyone was gone, she moved the money to another safe, one that only she and her mother knew about.

  Minneville might be a relaxed, mountain town with very little crime, but she wasn’t stupid or irresponsible. Teenagers had a tendency to want alcohol. An unlocked door to a bar was an invitation for trouble. Just as she protected her heart with multiple layers of protection, she protected her bar as well.

  “Ready?” he called out, taking her pack as soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

  “Ready!” she replied, smiling and eager to head back up into the mountains.

  He drove to a different place this time. The day was much more relaxing and they walked silently either next to each other, or in line when the trail narrowed. When they reached the end of the trail, she pulled off her pack and unloaded their lunch.

  “This looks nice,” he said, taking one of the sandwiches. “I’m starving.”

  She eyed his shoulders wistfully, wishing it was summer so they could go swimming in the creek. That way, he’d have to take off his shirt and she’d get to look all she wanted.

  Unfortunately, summer was months away.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked.

  She blushed and looked out at the view. “Nothing.”

  He laughed. “No, that wasn’t a ‘nothing’ blush. What was it?”

  She squinched up her nose. “You don’t leave a lady any secrets, do you?”

  “Was it a secret thought?”

  “Perhaps,” she replied, lifting her shoulder slightly.

  “I’m intrigued. Tell me.”

  “I can’t tell you if it is a secret thought. Then it wouldn’t be secret any longer.”

  “It sounds fascinating. I’m really curious now.”

  He reached for the thermos at the same time she did. At the first touch, they both froze, her eyes lifting to his.

  The awareness, that had been palpable yesterday, was back and stronger than ever. She knew she should pull her hand away, but she stayed still, her fingers tangling with his.

  And that was all it took. One moment, they were sitting on the blanket, having a peaceful lunch. The next moment, she was underneath him. Cynthia had no idea if she moved towards him first, or if he pulled her close. It didn’t really matter. A fraction of a second later, she was kissing him, her fingers weaving into his hair as she arched closer to him. She didn’t feel the hard ground or the cold air. All she felt was Ryan and the warmth of his body. Over and over, he angled his mouth to hers, deepening the kiss until she didn’t know where her body stopped and his started. All she knew was that he tasted better than anything she’d ever tried before. And she wanted more. More of everything. More kisses, more skin, just more.

  He lifted his head, both of them panting as they stared at each other.

  “It’s too cold to do this here,” he decided. “Let’s go back to your place.”

  She didn’t hesitate, sitting up even as she nodded her agreement. Instead of packing everything carefully into her backpack, she stuffed the remnants of their lunch into the pockets. He helped, grabbing the thermoses and stuffing them haphazardly into his.

  When they had everything packed up, he took her hand and led her hurriedly down the mountain. The hike wasn’t pleasurable this time around. It was frantic. When they finally reached his car in record time, he tossed their packs into the back, then grabbed her, lifting her up to kiss her again. She wrapped her arms around his neck, whimpering when his hands slipped underneath the multiple layers of clothing.

  “Home!” she gasped, pushing him in the direction of the driver’s side as she slipped into the passenger seat. Ryan had the engine started even before she had her seatbelt connected. They made it back to the bar, tires skidding on the grave
l, and then he was out of his seat again, pulling her into his arms directly from the car.

  “Inside,” she gasped when his hand cupped her breast. “Please. Now!”

  He took her hand again and pulled her to the door. While she fumbled with the lock, he lifted her hair out of the way and nuzzled the skin along her neck, making it that much more difficult to focus on her keys. But the lock finally clicked open, and they both stumbled inside, Ryan kicking the door closed behind him as he nudged her towards the stairway. “Move!” he growled, practically dragging her up the stairs to her apartment.

  When they were finally there, he started pulling her clothes off. “I need you naked, Cynthia. Now!” He tugged her sweatshirt and undershirt over her head, tossing them onto the floor. He did the same with his shirts as he backed up towards her bedroom.

  He started to move into the guest bedroom, but she laughed. “This is my place now. My mom lives in Florida,” and she took his hand, leading him into the master bedroom, which was bigger, but not by much. Still, she had a queen-sized bed versus the full sized bed in the guest room, where her mother stayed if she ever came to visit.

  “I don’t care where, as long as there’s a bed and you’re naked,” he growled, pulling her against him. While he kissed her, he efficiently dispensed with her bra, cupping her breasts, lifting them up as if testing the weight before curling his fingers around them, teasing her nipples.

  Cynthia closed her eyes, shivers running through her as he teased the tip, turning her nipple in his fingers before rubbing it until she squirmed.

  “More,” she pleaded, whimpering when he did it again.

  He laid her down on the bed, but didn’t follow her down. Instead, he tugged her shoes and socks off, followed by her jeans and underwear. When she was completely naked, he stopped and looked down at her, his eyes moving over every inch of her body. And still, it wasn’t enough. Taking an ankle in each hand, he pulled her legs open, the smile forming on his lips when she resisted for a moment. But in the end, he won and her body heated up even more as he admired her. Everywhere!

  “Finally,” he sighed and lowered his head, kissing her as if she were his next breath!

  Every time he touched her or kissed her, it was as if he were setting her world on fire. It was too much and yet, not enough. Pulling him closer, she couldn’t stop shifting her hips, grinding against his hardness.

  His lips against her neck caused her to gasp, and she lifted her chin as her hands slid down over his shoulders and arms, then back up to trace the muscles in his chest. Every curve and indentation was fair game. He’d always been muscular in high school, but the difference between then and now was significant and fascinating.

  She needed to touch him everywhere, but…at that particular moment, his mouth latched into her breast, teasing the already hard nipple. As the desire surging through her body, she couldn’t do anything more than just hang on while she tried to catch her breath. Unfortunately, that was more difficult than expected, especially when his other hand moved to cup her other breast, his thumb and forefinger pinching her nipple ever so slightly, then harder before his mouth moved to that peak.

  Too many sensations, too much to process, so she just stopped trying and reacted, holding his head still against her breast. His hair was short but soft against her fingers and she cried out, desperate for him to fill her up and give her the release they both needed. Grinding against him, she tried to position her hips so that she could take him inside of her but he shifted lower, kissing her stomach.

  Cynthia was fully aware of his goal and shook her head. “Please, no. You don’t need to do that.”

  His hands slid down her stomach. “What if I want to do this?” he replied with a smile.

  “No. I can’t,” she told him, cringing at the memory of the last time someone had tried. “It just doesn’t work. I don’t work that way.”

  His curiosity was evident on his handsome features, which was always a bad thing. Her stomach muscles tightened and she tried to inch backwards. But he held her still.

  “So, you don’t like it when a man kisses you here?” he asked softly, his voice deepening as his fingers teased her slick folds. “I want to taste you, Cyn. I want to feel you climax against my tongue.”

  “Please, I just…” his finger flicked against that sensitive nub and she gasped, her hips shifting to get away from that teasing finger. “I’d prefer it if…we just get to the main event.”

  He laughed, but then shook his head. “Sounds like a challenge to me. You know how much I love those.”

  She tried to scoot back again but his hands were firm and held her in place. “Just let me taste you, Cyn. Just a small taste. If I do something you don’t like, just tell me and I’ll stop, okay?”

  Her decision was made by his finger sliding into her heat as his thumb fluttered against that nub.

  “Fine,” she groaned, unable to stop her body from clenching at his teasing strokes. “Just…get it over with.”

  “That’s my girl. Always so enthusiastic about everything.” His laughter turned her on more than anything but she grabbed a pillow, trying to hide her face. Or keep herself from watching him, wondering if he was going to be finished anytime soon.

  Then she felt his mouth against her and she gasped, shocked at the sensation. The pillow went flying and she grabbed his head with one hand, the comforter with the other and…just held on. Shock and awareness swirled with every stroke of his tongue. He licked and sucked, teased and then started all over again. She couldn’t believe how close he got her in almost no time at all!

  Cynthia couldn’t hold back. He was completely in control and he took her right to the edge and then over as his fingers and mouth tutored her body in pleasure. Her body throbbed and the sensations just kept going and going.

  When he finally pulled away, Cynthia forced air into her lungs, carefully uncurling now-stiff fingers from the comforter.

  “Sorry,” she whispered, still gasping as the lingering pulses of pleasure continued.

  “My pleasure,” he replied, and stood up, unzipped his jeans, tossing them over the end of the bed after pulling a condom from his pocket. “But there’s more.”

  She shook her head. “That was enough,” she replied, staring up at his smug expression. “That was better than I ever though it could be.”

  His triumphant laugh caught her off guard, as did his hands pulling her close as he moved back between her legs. “Oh, there’s so much more.”

  Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “This is all for you,” she whispered, lifting her hips when he pressed into her heat. “Just…” she gasped, adjusting as he stretched unused muscles as he moved deeper into her body.

  “Shut up, Cyn,” he groaned as he started moving, thrusting deeper into her body with each movement. He reached down with one hand to shift her hips slightly. Cynthia’s eyes widened as this new angle pressed his body more perfectly against that nub. A moment ago, she’d considered herself done and fully satisfied. But this, feeling the new friction, her breath hitched in her throat as her need sparked back to life.

  “Ryan, I can’t…”

  “No more talking, Cyn. Just move against me. Shift however feels good. Don’t worry about anything, just move and explore, honey.”

  She looked up into his eyes, trying to figure out what he was saying. She felt his hand against her hip and tried to figure out what he was doing to her. But the way he moved, she couldn’t think very clearly.

  That’s when he shifted again, this time pulling her leg higher, giving him better access. For a moment, she felt exposed and…vulnerable. But then he moved against her and…!

  “Ryan!” she gasped, her head thrown back as she lifted her hips, meeting each of his thrusts. Over and over, he thrust into her, hitting her exactly where she needed him! Her desire climbed higher and higher, reaching desperately for that release, worrying that it wouldn’t happen. So when it did, when her body splintered into glorious sparkles of pleasure
, she gasped, writhing against him in uninhibited pleasure, completely unaware of him or his needs as she enjoyed the most incredible climax, clinging to him as the only safe net in this tidal wave of beauty.

  Ryan was so attuned to Cynthia that he knew the exact moment that she started to climax. Her breath caught in her throat, her body arched against him and then…He wanted to hold back, to enjoy this moment with her, but it was too much, her body pulling his release out of him and he could only hold her as the rush hit him. Never before had anything felt so good and so right, so powerfully wonderful as it did with Cynthia.

  Collapsing afterwards, he pulled her against him as his body continued to throb with pleasure, the aftershocks coming in decreasing waves but still amazing.

  “Damn!” he muttered in a hushed voice, running slightly shaking fingers through her hair. The braid had given up completely after that mind-altering experience.

  “Agreed,” she replied, breathless as her body shifted slightly. Another aftershock hit him and he moaned, pulling her on top of him.

  “Let’s do that again.” He kissed her as she giggled in surprise, rolling again so that she was beside him. He didn’t want to let her go, but knew that he needed to pull out, afraid of leaks from the condom. “I’ll be right back,” he kissed her lightly one more time before getting up and heading to the bathroom. He took a moment to trash the condom, surprised at how good he felt. Rinsing off, he looked in the mirror, expecting to find that his image had altered somehow. He’d finally made love to Cynthia! Damn, he felt…incredible! He couldn’t remember ever feeling better.

  The covers were a complete mess, pillows had been tossed everywhere, scattered drunkenly across the floor. She was watching him, a drowsy smile on her beautiful features.

  Sliding into bed, he wrapped his arms around her, pressing her against his warmth. “You okay?” he asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

  “Yeah. Better than okay,” she announced, punctuating that statement with a huge yawn.