by Cathryn Fox
“You are perfect,” he murmured from between her legs. The need in his voice, the intimacy in his tone, curled her toes and fired her senses. His hands slid over her stomach, her hips and outer thighs. As he reacquainted himself with her body, she quivered from the inside out, needing him so badly if he didn’t soon touch her she was going to splinter into a million tiny pieces. “So fucking perfect.”
Her breath caught when his tongue finally found her sex. “Kyle,” she whispered with effort, a long, slow moan catching in her throat as she collapsed back down on the bed.
Pinned beneath him, he parted her lips with his fingers, and using the rough pad of his thumb he circled her clit. Slow, torturous strokes that drove her mad and took her to the precipice in record time. As soft quakes began in her core, his tongue replaced his finger, the wet heat singeing her sex and shutting down her brain. Sparks shot through her body and she trembled as he nurtured an orgasm from her in the most delicious ways.
His fingers stroked deep, and her muscles rippled as desire flared inside her. She gave a broken gasp as he touched her in places so deep she thought she’d died and gone to heaven. She gripped the bed sheets, ripping the corners from the sides as she arched in to him and concentrated on the erotic sensations.
His tongue centered on her clit and he applied more pressure—the perfect amount of weight to take her where she needed to go. As her blood boiled under his artful manipulation, every nerve ending fired and sizzled through her body. She whimpered and tossed her head from side to side. So. Much. Pleasure.
His tongue stroked her clit as his finger plunged hungrily, long, luxurious strokes that escalated the tension inside her. She closed her eyes against the duel assault, losing herself in him completely. While she never wanted the moment to end, she had no idea how much longer she could hold on. Her hands went to her breasts and she touched her nipples, rolling them between her fingers.
Kyle cursed from between her legs and she glanced down to find him watching her. She grinned and squeezed her nipples harder, loving the way he reacted. Still cursing, he turned his attention back to her sex and buried his face in deeper. His tongue swirled and stroked, his fingers pressed hungrily. The pleasure was exquisite. She whimpered and her body tingled all over. Her breath caught and the world around her faded. The only thing that mattered was this man, and what he was doing to her.
He stroked with expertise, and when she lifted her hips to force him in deeper, a violent shudder overtook her. She gave a breathy moan and let go, her muscles clenching and spasming with the hot flow of release.
“Fuck, yes,” he growled as she rippled around his finger, beneath his expert tongue. He lapped at her, drawing out her pleasure until the spasm subsided. Her heart raced and it took effort to breathe.
She needed a moment to recuperate, but he gave her no reprieve. Instead, he grabbed something from his pants, climbed over her body and repositioned her on the bed. His breathing was so labored, so harsh, she could feel his heart crashing against her chest.
She reached out and traced the pattern of his face, tracing the outline of his jaw as he leaned into her. “Kyle,” she murmured against his cheek, needing him as much as he needed her.
“I need to be inside you,” he said, his voice barely recognizable. He tore into a condom and quickly sheathed himself. In one fluid movement he grabbed her legs and spread them, then fell over her body. He positioned himself at her opening and brushed his tongue along the seam of her lips. “Tell me you want that too.”
“I want that too,” she whispered, his intensity scaring her a little.
His tongue pushed between the slit of her lips and plundered her mouth, then in one quick thrust he drove into her. The fit was tight and the spreading of her walls tore the air from her lungs. He stilled, like he was waiting for her to catch her breath. She sucked in air, and when she expelled it, he pulled out and rammed back inside again. Her arms slipped around his shoulders, her fingers slicking over his passion-drenched flesh as he rocketed in and out of her, like all his control was going down in a burst of flame. She moved beneath him, and he gave a lusty groan as her sex clenched around his girth.
His mouth moved to her neck and he buried his face in the soft hollow of her throat. She wrapped her legs around him and met and welcomed each thrust, encouraging him to give himself over to the things he was feeling…the things he needed.
He grabbed her shoulders, and was panting heavily, the heat of his mouth fanning over her body. His fingers bit into her flesh, hard enough to leave a bruise. She bit her lip, her heart stuttering with the possessive way he was taking her.
“So good,” she murmured, warmth flooding her.
He angled for deeper thrusts and the depth of penetration pushed her desires higher and higher. The crescendo of their union took her to the peak a second time, and she gave herself over to the sensations. A shiver wracked her body. She sucked in air and swallowed against the dryness in her throat.
“Kyle,” she murmured, scratching her nails over his back as her cream trickled down her thighs.
Kyle growled, his body tightening all over. He pumped once, twice then threw his head back as he let go. He pulsed inside her, and she closed her eyes, her sex muscles squeezing his cock in response.
Oh. My. God.
Her thoughts whirled, her brain wobbly like the buzz from a fine wine. Kyle collapsed on top of her as she basked in the glow of amazing sex. She ran her hands over his back, his muscles vibrated and danced beneath her touch. His breath was hot on her neck as he struggled to catch it. She touched his hair, felt the dampness. A bone-deep warmth flowed through her.
He shifted his hips and inched out of her. The loss flooded her with a different kind of need. Thick muscles flexed as he turned away and discarded the condom. She touched his back, not wanting to break contact. Her fingers trailed over his damp skin, a melee of emotions pressing against her chest.
He fell in beside her, a new intimacy between them. She rolled on the small mattress toward him and breathed in his scent. Cloaked in sexual contentment, she nestled against his chest and his arm went around her. His heart was strong and powerful as it beat against her cheek. She snuggled closer, and he pulled the blankets up. It felt so good to be held by him. She closed her eyes, and sank into him. Sleep pulled at her, and her eyes slipped shut. Her breathing leveled and she could feel herself drifting, but something unsettling pulled her awake. Something that filled her with dread. She listened to Kyle breathe, took in the stiffness of his body. He was far from relaxed, and he was quiet.
Too quiet.
Too still.
Her stomach dipped, her euphoria disappearing. She knew him well enough to know something was going on inside his head. She scraped her teeth over her kiss-swollen lip and drew a fortifying breath.
“Kyle,” she asked in a soft voice, her hand going to his chest.
“Yeah.”
“You okay?”
He inched back, rolled to his side, and went up on one elbow. It wasn’t just a physical retreat, it was an emotional one. He’d done the same thing with her once before.
“Rach.” He brushed her hair from her cheek. His weary gaze moved over her face, a slow careful assessment. She took in the worry lines bracketing his eyes. “Are you okay?” His voice came out tight.
Her blood turned cold, her throat closing over. “Yes,” she managed to get out, even though it was a lie.
“Listen.” He exhaled slowly and she braced herself. God, if he left now, disappeared from their lives again, she had no idea how she’d handle it. Her stomach knotted and she steadied herself. He peered at her, his forehead creasing. “What we did. It was…”
“Wonderful,” she said.
“Right, wonderful, but we can’t let this happen again.” A pause and then, “You know that, right?”
She went quiet for a long time, trying to pull herself together as she digested and chewed on his words. If what they were doing was so wrong, then why did it feel so r
ight?
“Yeah,” she said quietly, agreeing only because she feared he’d run the other way. She worked to harden herself, to tamp down the things she felt for him.
He cupped the back of her neck, and as his thumb traced her hairline in a tender way, it instantly took her back to the place where emotions ruled. Her heart missed a beat. Blue eyes locked on hers and he rested his forehead against hers, the closeness she felt with him completely overwhelming her.
One arm circled his neck to hold him, but he gripped it, pulled it away and placed it at her side.
“It shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” he whispered.
In a way, he was right. She never should have allowed it to happen, at least not before she told him the secret she’d been keeping from him. He carried enough guilt as it was. But truthfully, in her heart she knew what they did wasn’t wrong. Not when she loved him so much.
He glanced at her apologetically. “I shouldn’t have taken… I just…needed…”
She gazed into his stormy eyes and there was something more there, something behind the guilt.
“I needed too,” she said, craving the feel of him against her body again.
A strange, surprised look came over his face. He looked at her like he couldn’t comprehend the words coming out of her mouth. What? Did he think this was all about him? That because he initiated it, the responsibility for what happened was his? She was a woman with needs too, and she had no trouble owning up to the fact that she wanted him, and this, as much, if not more, than he did. They were both responsible for everything that happened between them.
She was about to tell him all that, even though she suspected he wouldn’t believe her, when she heard Ava calling out to her. Since she didn’t want her daughter to find her in bed with Kyle, she jumped up and pulled on her nightshirt.
“Rach,” he said quietly. “I think I should go.”
She struggled to keep her voice level, the tears from spilling. She kept her back to him, and smoothed her hand over her hair. “If that’s what you want.” She didn’t want him to go, it would tear her heart in two, but she wasn’t going to keep him here if he didn’t want to stay. She’d never want him to feel trapped.
“It’s not what I want,” he whispered.
She turned to face him, her emotions on a roller coaster ride with no strap to hold them in. “Then what do you want?” she blurted out.
“I…I want us to be friends again.”
She nodded, because she wanted that too, but she also wanted more.
“Do you think we could do that?” he asked quietly. “Do you think we could be friends? You know, hang out like we used to?”
“Yes,” she said, even though everything had changed since those carefree days of their youth. There was more going on between them, neither could deny it, but right now maybe they just needed friendship to get them though the next few days—before the secret came out. Her stomach clenched, because once that happened, she feared she wouldn’t even have that from him anymore.
Chapter Six
The sound of Ava’s feet running up and down the hall pulled Kyle awake. With exhaustion pulling at him after a restless night, he stretched his arms over his head and turned toward the window. On the street below he could hear children playing and laughing, and it tugged at something inside him.
All his comrades were getting married and having families. He’d never given it much thought before, because he couldn’t imagine a life with anyone but Rachel.
Rachel.
Sweet, vulnerable Rachel who he’d once again taken advantage of. He fisted his hair. What the hell had he been thinking? He hadn’t been, and that was the problem. One look at her and all his blood went south. He should have stayed strong, never should have taken advantage of her loneliness and dragged her into his bed. What a fucking douche.
A soft knock sounded on his door. “Time to get up, Uncle Kyle.”
Kyle smiled and his mood shifted when he heard sweet little Ava. He was looking forward to hanging out with her today. Facing Rachel after last night? Not so much.
“I’m up,” he said. “I’ll be right out.”
Her feet pounded on the stairs as she ran down the steps, singing some song at the top of her lungs as she chased after her mother. Kyle pulled on his jeans and made his way to the shower. After getting rinsed, he found some clean clothes and made his way to the kitchen. Rachel stood at the sink, her back to him, and the sight of her standing there, dressed in her work clothes with her hair tied back in a ponytail set his heart thumping. He clenched down on his jaw, calling on every ounce of strength he had not to go over there, turn her around and plant a warm, good morning kiss onto her mouth.
“Uncle Kyle, you can sit by me.”
At the sound of his name, Rachel turned. Her eyes met his and he sucked in a breath. She looked warm, sexually sated and…sad. A smile touched her mouth, but it was forced.
She wiped her hands on the dish towel and tossed it over her shoulder. “Morning, sleepy head,” she said, keeping things light. Good. Light he could handle. Ava giggled and he relaxed slightly. “Did you sleep well?” Rachel asked. “Was the bed comfortable?”
“You have a very comfortable bunk bed, Ava.” He turned to the little girl, who was in pink princess pajamas. Then he winked and added, “Thank you for letting me sleep in it, but maybe tonight you can hook me up with a pillow.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Rachel’s face turned a pretty shade of pink. “I never noticed…I mean I have an extra one on my bed you can have.” She put a bowl in front of him, and he noticed the shakiness in her hand as she pointed to the box of cereal. “Help yourself.”
Ava dug her spoon into her cereal and took a big bite. “Can we go see the dogs again today?” she asked around a mouthful of Cheerios.
“Ava,” Rachel said. “We don’t talk with our mouth full.”
Ava put her hand over her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “Can we go see the dogs again?” she repeated.
“That’s better.” Rachel smiled at her daughter.
“Sure, if you’d like. And maybe we could go to the pool. It’s supposed to be a scorcher and a friend of mine works there. I’d like to say hello.”
Ava clapped. “Yay! Are we going to work on the tree house too?”
“Yup, for a bit, but when it gets too hot we’ll go swimming.” Rachel poured him a mug of coffee and set it in front of him. Her hand accidently brushed his as she passed the sugar, knowing just how he liked it. Her warm scent drifted past his nose, and his body stiffened, memories from last night bombarding him.
“I don’t have any cream, only milk,” she said, sounding breathless.
“That’s okay. Milk is fine.” He dropped two sugar cubes into his mug, chased them with a spoon, then poured in a generous amount of milk. He took a much needed drink, hoping it would clear the lust from his brain. “Oh, Rach. I was talking to the guys last night at Sky Bar and we’re invited to a barbeque at Matt’s place this weekend. He passed his MCATs and is celebrating.”
She frowned, and looked into the coffee pot. “I…I’m not…sure.”
“Ava’s invited too.” He turned to Ava. “You remember Gemma from the shelter?”
Ava nodded. “She’s nice.”
“She is nice, and she’s going to be there and she has a daughter your age.”
“Can I go, Mommy?”
“We’ll talk about it tonight.” Rachel dropped a kiss onto Ava’s head. She turned to Kyle. “I’ll be home around five. You know to call if you need anything.”
“Yeah, but we’ll be fine.” He reached out and ruffled Ava’s hair. “Right, squirt?”
“Right,” she said.
He looked at Rach, who was staring at him, an emotion he couldn’t identify dancing in her eyes as her hands squeezed the tea towel. “You okay?”
She blinked and took a small step back. “Yeah. Ava, be sure to wear your water wings at the pool.”
“I will, Mommy.”
“If I had a dog, I’d walk it every day,” Ava said, dragging his thoughts back.
So much for the tree house taking her mind off getting a dog.
He finished his cereal and his spoon clattered as he dropped it into the bowl. “What do you say we go to the compound first, then I have to make a trip to the hardware store. We’ll come back for lunch and start on the tree house?”
“Okay.” She jumped from her chair. “Mommy says I have to brush my teeth, wash my face, comb my hair and get dressed.”
She put her bowl in the sink, and Kyle smiled as he watched her. James would have been so proud of her. Kyle washed up the dishes and put away the milk. On a plate inside the fridge he found three steaks defrosting, and it did the strangest things to him.
Ten minutes later Ava come running back in to the kitchen dressed in a pair of pink shorts and T-shirt with lollipops on it. She held out two elastic bands and a comb. “Can you do my hair again?”
Ugh. “Sure.” He sat down and put her on his knees. She wiggled and shifted. Did she ever sit still? He dragged the comb through her hair, careful not to hurt her when he came across a few tangles.
“Ouch,” she yelped. “That hurts.”
