by Cindy Kirk
He would win her over, show her that his love was sincere. Starting now.
Chapter Fourteen
Ryan stared at her for a long moment. The second his eyes met hers, something inside Betsy seemed to lock into place and she couldn’t look away.
Then his lips curved upward in a smile that pierced her skin and traveled straight to her soul. She stood absolutely still as he reached out and touched her cheek, one finger trailing slowly along her skin until it reached the line of her jaw.
She stopped breathing when he leaned closer, brushing his lips across hers. The friction sent shivers and tingles spiraling through her body.
Betsy finally found her voice. She spoke his name, then paused, not sure what she wanted to say.
“Let me make love to you.”
His request, spoken in a husky voice, sent blood flowing like warm honey through her veins. He moved his arm so her hand slid down to his and he gently locked their fingers together.
Betsy’s heart fluttered. A thousand butterflies lodged in her throat. Her body quivered with anticipation. It had been a long time, but she felt sure that with Ryan it would be different. Better. Magical even.
She gazed into his eyes. Could he hear her heart pounding?
“Please,” she said, not sure what she was asking for but knowing she wanted it all. Ryan was a smart guy. She was confident he’d figure out a way to meet her unspoken desires.
Before she could blink, his clothes landed in a heap somewhere behind him. Like a game of follow the leader, Betsy took a deep breath and tossed what remained of hers on the floor next to his.
When she’d been a child, teachers had told Betsy it was impolite to stare. But she was no longer a child and she couldn’t help herself. Broad shoulders. Flat abdomen. Muscular legs. And—she swallowed past the sudden dryness in her throat—indisputable evidence of his desire for her.
Heat flooded her face, yet she didn’t look away.
“Do I meet with your approval?” Even though a slight smile teased the corners of his lips, his eyes were dark and serious.
“You’ll do,” she said, then belied the lighthearted tone by blushing. “What about me?”
The second the question left her lips, Betsy wished she could pull it back. There was no way she could measure up to the previous women in his life unless she dropped ten pounds, worked out for a month straight and gained a cup size.
Instead of a quick comeback, his gaze lingered. Then his eyes lifted to meet hers. “You’re beautiful.”
Hating that she’d put him in the position to feel obligated to offer up a sentiment, she ducked her head and shrugged.
“Hey.” He moved closer and lifted her chin with his fingers, his eyes like molten steel. “I mean it.”
Betsy shook her head slowly from side to side.
“If you won’t take my word, I guess I’m going to have to show you.” His voice was heavy with resignation, but the gleam in his eyes told her showing was going to be a good thing.
For both of them.
Ryan took her hand and urged her to lie on the bed, then slid in beside her. Betsy’s mind barely had time to register they were naked and on her bed—ohmigod—when he pulled her close. He smelled of soap and a familiar male scent that made something tighten low in her abdomen.
“You are incredibly beautiful.” His breath was warm as he spoke softly into her ear right before he took the lobe between his teeth and nibbled. “And you’re all mine.”
Shivers of desire rippled across her skin as anticipation coursed up her spine.
“That vanilla scent of yours drives me wild.” He planted kisses down her neck while his hand lightly stroked her belly. “I want to be inside of you. I want to fill you completely until your pleasure makes you scream.”
Scream? Betsy had never screamed in her life. Unless she counted the time Keenan dropped a spider down the front of her dress. Still, she was open to the possibility.
She closed her eyes and reveled in the feel of his hands on her skin. Each sensuous stroke fueled the fire building inside her. When his hand slid upward from her stomach, Betsy forgot how to breathe.
“I think,” he said in a low, husky tone, “your breast will fit perfectly in my palm.”
Betsy opened her eyes just in time to see Ryan’s hand cup her breast. But he didn’t stop there. He circled the peak with his finger. Her blood began to boil. He touched the tip of his tongue to the tip of her left breast. Her need became a stark carnal hunger she hadn’t known she was capable of feeling.
Thankfully he didn’t stop there. Or she’d have had to beg. He circled the nipple, then drew it fully into his mouth. Shock waves coursed through her body.
The gentle sucking soon had her arching against him. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her breasts, kissing and licking each pink peak thoroughly, dragging his teeth across the sensitive skin. And she couldn’t get enough of his touch.
Betsy squirmed in frustration. She pushed her hips against him, rubbing his erection. She wanted... She needed...
Even if she wasn’t sure exactly what she needed, Ryan knew. His hand dipped south, slipping through her curls and between her legs.
Her breath caught in her throat as he rubbed against her slick center. No man had ever touched her like this. No man had ever made her ache like this. When his fingers found her sweet spot, she nearly rose off the bed.
“Don’t stop,” she begged.
“Not on your life.” He kissed her and slipped two fingers inside.
Her muscles automatically tightened around them. Betsy inhaled sharply.
Ryan’s lips lifted in satisfaction. “You’re wet.”
Was there any doubt? Betsy wanted to ask. Instead she opened her legs wider, moving sensuously against his hand, letting him know in every way possible that she wanted more of this, more of him.
With gray eyes so dark they almost looked black, he shifted so that he knelt between her legs and began kissing his way down her belly. Part of her suspected what he was going to do while the rest of her couldn’t believe it was really happening. She’d heard talk...she’d read about it in books...but no other guy had ever...
Leaning forward, he pressed his open mouth against the sensitive skin of her inner thigh. The sight of his dark head between her legs, the brush of his tongue dampening her flesh, was the most erotic experience of her life.
She rocked her hips, brazenly struggling to get the friction she needed to feed the incredible need building inside her. Her breathing came in fast pants. As the rising tension gripped her and wouldn’t let go, she dug her heels into the mattress and clutched the sheets with her hands.
While fighting to catch her breath, it happened. One moment she was tossing her head from side to side, every nerve ending on fire. The next she was coming apart in his arms, exploding in an orgasm that dragged a scream from her that she didn’t recognize as her own.
Her body shook, and she gave in to the waves of pleasure coursing through her. Once she could breathe again, Betsy opened her eyes to a world that looked different from the one she’d left moments before. It was as if she’d spent her life in darkness and someone had thrown a light switch, bathing her world in a golden glow.
A silly grin lifted her lips. “That was—”
“Unbelievably good.” He kissed her mouth, gently brushing her hair back from her face.
“I’ve never felt anything like that,” she stammered, feeling like a neophyte who’d gotten her first glimpse of the Promised Land.
“That was only the beginning. There’s so much more.” His eyes seemed to glitter in the dim light. “Make love with me.”
Betsy thought that’s what they’d been doing. But apparently what she’d experienced had been simply a fantastically fabulous appetizer, a prequel to the main course, which Ryan appeared eager to serve up.
“Bring it on, cowboy,” Betsy said, then ruined the effect by blushing.
Ryan chuckled, but Betsy didn’t feel like laughing when
he began kissing her, branding her as his with hot moist imprints upon her skin. Sweet tension mixed with raw need.
Suddenly ravenous, Betsy couldn’t wait any longer. She reached between them and guided him inside her. He was large and hard and stretched her in the best way possible. She wrapped her legs around his hips, urging him deeper.
“More,” she breathed as he withdrew only to fill her again in a rhythm as old as time.
I love you. I love you. I love you. The sentiment ran over and over in her head with each thrust until she could no longer think.
“I—I—” she breathed as her body stiffened before convulsing into release a second time.
He thrust again and again until the shudders faded. She felt him plunge deep, calling out her name before burying his face against her neck.
Still intimately joined, Betsy clung to him as a languid drowsiness stole over her and his choppy breathing slowed. She knew she was grinning, but she couldn’t get her lips to do anything else.
Ryan kissed her hair, her lips, her neck, a matching smile on his mouth. Even when he rolled off her, he pulled her close. In between kisses and sweet caresses they talked about anything and everything and nothing at all. Each time she thought about getting up, he kissed her again.
“I’d never—” Betsy lifted her head from his chest. Perhaps this wasn’t proper post-lovemaking protocol, but she really had to know. “I never experienced anything like this before. Were those other two guys total duds? Or was it me?”
Ryan almost told her it was love that made the difference. He stopped himself just in time. Because while he knew he loved her, he wasn’t sure those feelings were reciprocated. “It’s the caring and the trust that made it special.”
“Whatever the reason, I liked it.” Betsy’s well-kissed lips turned up in a satisfied smile. “I want to do it again. Now.”
Her boldness delighted Ryan. “Can you at least give me a few more minutes to recover? You took me on a wild ride, cowgirl.”
Betsy’s hand stole under the sheets and closed around him. She grinned. “Feels to me like you’re fully recovered.”
Her smile faded. “Unless you don’t want—”
“I want you,” he said, the words a solemn vow. He wanted her not just in his bed, but also in his life. He’d never wanted anyone more.
“Ah, yes.” She cocked her head. “The question is, for how long?”
Her tone was teasing, but the look in her eyes troubled him.
“Forever,” Ryan said. “That’s how long.”
Betsy stared at him, then pulled him on top of her, kicking aside the sheet. “Let’s start with tonight.”
“That will do,” he said. “For now.”
* * *
Seconds after Ryan’s truck pulled out of her driveway the next morning, Betsy was on the phone with Adrianna. “We have to talk. Can you meet for lunch?”
“I wish I could.” Regret filled Adrianna’s voice. “But my day is jam-packed. I’m just going to grab a yogurt and eat at my desk.”
“How about if I bring lunch to you?” Betsy was not going to take no for an answer. “We could eat in your office.”
“Sure,” Adrianna said. “But I only have a half hour to spare.”
After confirming the best time to stop over, Betsy hung up. Because Ryan would be in court until at least noon, he’d given her the morning off. She had to speak with Adrianna before she saw him again.
Ryan hadn’t wanted to leave this morning. The way he kept kissing her and untying the chenille belt on her robe told her that much. But as much as she wanted him to stay, he’d turned her world upside down. She needed time and distance to get her thoughts together and gain some perspective.
Betsy pulled on a pair of tweed pants with a silk blouse and camel-colored cardigan before looking in the mirror. A new woman stared back at her. Her eyes looked darker and more mysterious. If she didn’t know better she’d say her lips were swollen from his kisses.
The change wasn’t simply on the inside. Her body felt different, as if it had been asleep for a long time and had finally awakened. In the span of twenty-four short hours her life had been forever changed. She and Ryan had forged a new path.
That meant, even if they wanted to, they’d never be able to go back to the way it was before.
* * *
Betsy placed the sandwiches and drinks on Adrianna’s desk and waited while her friend closed the door.
“What’s going on?” Adrianna settled into her leather chair and unscrewed the top of her soda. “You sounded strange on the phone this morning.”
“Ryan spent the night.” Betsy tried but wasn’t able to keep the goofy smile from her lips.
“What?” Adrianna plopped the bottle on her desk without taking a drink.
“We went to a party at Joel and Kate’s yesterday and had a fabulous time.” Betsy took a sip of her cherry soda. “Then he took me home and stayed over.”
Adrianna’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you two were just friends.”
Was that disapproval she heard in her friend’s voice? Had Adrianna been secretly pining for Ryan? Betsy’s heart sank. Her smile faded. “Are you interested in him?”
Adrianna’s eyes widened. “Oh, my gosh, no.”
“You told me you thought he was cute.”
“I do think he’s cute.” Adrianna’s expression gave nothing away. “That doesn’t mean I want to date him or see a future with him. What about you, Bets? Do you see yourself having a future with him?”
“I’d like to.” Betsy paused, wanting to be completely honest with her friend. “I love him, Anna. I know he cares about me, too. But I’m scared. How long will those feelings last? I worry that in time he’ll get tired of me like he’s done with the others before me.”
“Did he ask...to see you again?”
Something in the way her friend asked the question told Betsy she wasn’t confident of the answer she’d receive. That wasn’t a good sign.
Betsy nodded. “He wants to date me. Exclusively.”
“So you’re a couple.”
“Er, not exactly.” When Betsy recalled her conversation with Ryan at Kate’s house, she felt her cheeks warm. It hadn’t been her finest hour.
Adrianna leaned forward, her eyes snapping with curiosity. “This sounds interesting.”
“I told Ryan that Tripp wants to date me, too.”
Adrianna froze. “Why would you say that?”
“Because it’s true.” Betsy sighed. “And because I wanted to make sure Ryan knew that another man finds me attractive. Childish, huh?”
Adrianna bit into her sandwich and chewed for several seconds. “Are you thinking that Tripp will be your backup when Ryan dumps you?”
“If he dumps me,” Betsy protested. “Not when. We don’t know for sure he’s going to get tired of me. I could be ‘the one.’ The woman Ryan has been waiting for his whole life.”
Her voice began to tremble. Horrified by how much she’d revealed, Betsy clamped her mouth shut.
Adrianna leaned forward and took Betsy’s hand. “You’re right. You don’t know. That’s why you need to tell Tripp to take a hike. You can’t date him right now. You need to put your whole heart into this relationship with Ryan. Jump in with both feet. Don’t sit on the edge dipping in one toe at a time.”
“I don’t want to be hurt.”
“If he walks away from you, you’ll hurt anyway.” Adrianna gazed into her eyes. “Isn’t that right?”
Betsy slowly nodded.
“Give this relationship your best shot. If he does walk away, it’ll be his loss. But at least you won’t be left forever wondering if things would have turned out differently if only you’d opened your heart fully.”
What Adrianna said made sense. That didn’t mean the thought of putting her suggestion into action wasn’t scary as hell. “How did you get to be so smart?”
“I’ve made my share of mistakes.” Adrianna’s eyes turned dark. “I’d hate to see you make the
same ones.”
It sounded so simple. Give Ryan her whole heart and hope for the best. Well, she’d already given him her body and soul in addition to her heart. That meant all that was left was to hope for the best.
Chapter Fifteen
Fully focused was how Ryan normally spent the workday. Not today. This morning, all he’d been able to think of was Betsy.
To make matters even more complicated, he’d run into Tripp at the courthouse. Ryan wasn’t sure why the guy was there, and he hadn’t asked. He was still pissed that Tripp had asked Betsy out after he’d told him to back off. Yet Betsy could have said no. When he boiled it down, that’s what bothered him the most.
Ryan pressed his lips together as he strode down the cavernous halls of the courthouse.
“Watch where you’re going,” a man snarled.
Ryan had felt his briefcase bump against something but hadn’t realized it had been a person. He glanced up. “Chad.”
The tall attorney narrowed his gaze. “You need to keep better control of that briefcase, Harcourt.”
Ryan shrugged. The case had merely smacked against the attorney’s leg, he hadn’t swung it against the guy’s head. Even though after how Chad had treated Betsy, he deserved a good wallop to the head...and then some. But Ryan had promised Betsy he wouldn’t hurt the guy, and he was a man of his word.
Still, Chad’s unwarranted irritation said something was up. And that made Ryan curious. “What brings you to the courthouse?”
“What do you think?” Chad snapped. “I had business here.”
He’d hit a nerve. Good.
“I heard you hired a new paralegal,” he said as they both headed for the door. “How’s she working out?”
“She’s not with the firm anymore.” A muscle jumped in Chad’s jaw. “And I’m not answering any more of your questions.”
Yep. He’d definitely hit a nerve. Ryan smiled.
They were outside now, in the cool crisp air. The walks had been scooped, but patches of ice remained. Chad moved with long purposeful strides down the steps as if he couldn’t get away quickly enough. Until his Italian loafers connected with a patch of ice. The attorney waved his hands trying to regain his balance but instead did an alley-oop straight onto his backside.
