by M. S. Parker
My fingers itched to reach out and touch him, to explore the firm muscles of his chest and stomach, to slip beneath the covers and find soft curls and even softer skin. I didn't though. I folded my arms under my head as I rested on my stomach, enjoying the sight of him. The steady rise and fall of his chest. The faint morning stubble across his cheeks. His lips, parted ever so slightly. His hair falling across his forehead.
He made a sound, a soft sigh that curled its way into my heart. He shifted, his head rolling towards me as his eyes slowly opened. I smiled as they focused on me and his lips curved.
“Were you watching me sleep?” he asked, his voice still thick with sleep.
“I was,” I admitted. “Does it bother you?”
He shook his head and reached for me. I cuddled up against his side, resting my cheek on his chest as he kissed the top of my head. “I like waking up next to you,” he said.
“I like it too.” I slid my arm across his stomach, reaching for the hand resting there. I laced my fingers between his.
“You know what else I like?” he asked, then continued without waiting for my answer. “Seeing you in my shirt. Maybe it's old-fashioned or chauvinistic or something, but I like it when you wear my clothes.”
I chuckled. “Well then, maybe I should wear your clothes and you wear mine.” He laughed, the sound rumbling up through his chest. “Or,” I added. “You could wear nothing at all.”
“I think that's the one thing I like better than my clothes on you.” His tone was teasing, but there was heat to it.
“Oh really?” I teased back, raising my head to look at him. “Then I suppose you're not interested in the other special garments I brought with me?”
His eyes darkened. “I think I need to get in the shower right now or we’ll never get out of this bed.”
“Would that be a bad thing?” I asked.
He sighed. “As much as I'd love it, I really want to show you around, teach you to ski.” He reached down and brushed the back of his hand across my cheek. “I want us to be about more than sex.” He caught my bottom lip between his thumb and forefinger. “You mean too much to me to let things go that way.”
He climbed out of bed before I could respond and I was treated to the sight of his tight ass flexing as he walked out of the room and across the hall to the bathroom. A moment later, I heard the shower turn on. I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. Rylan definitely had more self-control than I did. I wanted us to have a relationship, a real one that wasn't all about emotion and sex, but I didn't know how to do it. Giving up control by following Rylan's lead on this was, in some ways, harder than it was during sex. I so badly wanted things between us to work out that not being able to control the direction we were going made me nervous. I trusted him and that, I knew, was what I had to remember.
After I showered, I joined him in the kitchen for breakfast. Nothing elaborate, but the simplicity of cereal and toast made it seem less like a one-time special event and more like us settling into something deeper. Once we finished, Rylan insisted that we take a walk in the woods. After lunch, we'd go skiing. I still wasn't entirely sure that was a good idea since I had no clue what I was doing, but I went along with it anyway.
We didn't go deep into the woods since the trails were snowed over to the point it'd be easy to get lost, but we were so far from the nearest major road that even just standing a few yards away from the cabin made it seem like we were cut off from the rest of the world. With most of the animals hibernating, it was quiet. The rustle of a few creatures and the creaking of branches were the only sounds.
As we stood there, Rylan came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me. He rested his chin on my head. “It's so peaceful out here,” he said softly. “I know Fort Collins isn't like New York or Denver, but there's still that city energy.”
I put my hands over his, wishing there weren't gloves between us. “I know exactly what you mean.”
I leaned back against him and let myself enjoy the moment. No pressure for time, nowhere we had to be. We had plans, but there was no one holding us to them, no schedule we had to follow. Our time was our own. No interruptions, no outside obligations.
We headed back when we were hungry, then gathered our things for the ski runs. Getting me set up for my first lesson took longer than I suspected was necessary since Rylan's hands seemed to keep finding themselves in places that weren't exactly essential to putting on my skis or other equipment, a matter that seemed to increase in frequency as he showed me the proper way to move on the skis. By the time I was ready to try my first slope, I was hot and bothered in a way that had nothing to do with physical exertion.
As expected, I took a few falls, but the snow was soft and Rylan was always there to help me up. Each time, I'd see the concern on his face as he approached and it wouldn't leave until he knew I was okay. What I appreciated the most though was that he didn't try to coddle me, no matter how much he worried. He never tried to get me to quit or suggest that I take it easy. He encouraged me to keep going, to keep trying, and when I finally made it down the slope without falling, the kiss he gave me made me wish it wasn't so cold out.
It began to snow lightly as the sun headed towards the horizon and by the time we were ready to call it a day, the flakes were coming down in fat, thick balls that made me think that it was a good thing we'd done outside stuff today. We headed back to the cabin, cleaned up and ate, then fell into bed, too exhausted to do anything more than kiss each other good-night.
When I opened my eyes the next morning, every muscle in my body was sore. I left Rylan still sleeping and spent a long time letting the hot water pound into my aching muscles. I popped a couple ibuprofen before heading back into the room. Rylan was standing at the window, wearing only the flannel pants he'd worn to bed last night. I took a moment to admire his tattoo and then walked over to the dresser to find something to wear.
“Come here,” he spoke without turning away from the window.
I crossed to his side, curious about what had captured his attention. My eyes widened as I took in our now-white surroundings. There had been a good amount of snow yesterday, but this was so much more. The trees were loaded with snow and there were drifts at least four feet tall. And it was still snowing.
“I don't think we're going to be doing any skiing today,” Rylan said. He looked down at me and smiled. “Think you can handle being stuck inside with me or are you going to get cabin fever?”
I grinned at him and winked. “Oh, I think we can find plenty to do to keep from getting bored.” I turned back to look at the snow. “I'm thinking the first thing we need to do after breakfast is check out that hot tub.” Aside from the fact that it'd be nice for my sore body, I was looking forward to being able to ogle a wet Rylan in swim trunks.
I couldn't think of a better way to end the year.
Chapter 15
The hot tub wasn't the only thing heating us up as the day progressed. Rylan gave me a tour of the entire house and shared stories of family time here, but the tension between us continued to grow. While he made dinner, I excused myself to freshen up and change into one of the panty and bra sets I bought before Christmas. I pulled my jeans and sweater back on over the lingerie, but with it on, I knew where I wanted things to go tonight, no matter how sore my muscles were. There was only one thing I wanted to do when the year changed from old to new.
When I walked back into the living room, Rylan was there waiting. He'd stoked up the fire, lit a couple candles and brought dinner out to the coffee table. He'd also poured us both glasses of wine. I took the one he offered and sat on the couch. He sat next to me. The meal was simple but delicious. Strips of tender steak and vegetables, eaten with our fingers, were way more sensual than I'd thought possible. Then there were the freshly sliced apples with cinnamon sprinkled on them for dessert.
“You know,” Rylan said. “I'd always enjoyed New Year's Eve parties, but I remember always thinking that one day, it might be nice to ring
in the new year quietly.” He looked down at me. “With someone special.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
“So you don’t miss being with your friends tonight?” I asked the question casually, purposefully not giving a specific name.
“I don't want to be anywhere else but here,” he said, kissing my temple.
The sound of the fire crackling filled the room, but we didn't need to talk. We were warm and comfortable. The world outside was so far away that it didn't matter. My stomach was full of good food and I was safe.
As the night wore on, Rylan's fingers began to make small circles on my shoulder and he pulled me closer. I brought my legs up, stifling a grimace as I tucked my feet under me. I didn't want him knowing I was too sore. He'd probably insist that I go to bed and I wasn't about to ruin the night. His hand dropped from my shoulder to my waist and his fingers slipped under the hem of my shirt. I shifted to give him enough room to move and he quickly obliged.
His hand slid across my stomach, leaving fire burning across my skin. When his hand cupped my breast, I moaned. I closed my eyes and let myself enjoy the sensations as his fingers explored my bra.
“Something new?” he asked softly.
I nodded and sat up. “Want to see?”
Even in the dim light, I could see his eyes darken to that near-purple color I loved so much. I pulled off my sweater and then stood. I heard his sharp intake of breath as I leaned down to take off my jeans. The muscles in my leg protested the stretch, but I ignored it.
“Damn, Jenna,” he murmured as he looked over me.
I'd chosen this set because I'd loved the way the deep red looked against my skin. They were sheer lace, hiding nothing. The bra was barely enough to cover my nipples and the panties hardly more than inch-wide in the front and less than that in the back.
For a moment, I wondered if things would've looked even better with my natural hair color. Then Rylan grabbed my hand and pulled me down on his lap. He flipped us even as I fell, rolling me under him so that we were stretched out on the couch, his body lying along mine.
His hands ran over me as his lips slanted over mine. His tongue traced my bottom lip far more gently than I'd expected from the heat I'd seen in his eyes. I opened my mouth and darted my tongue out to meet his. I moaned as he deepened the kiss, exploring my mouth slowly, as if he had forgotten it. He buried his hands in my hair, holding my head in place as I gripped his waist, pulling him closer. I slid my hands under the back of his shirt, fingers teasing across the top of his ass even as my thumbs made circles at the base of his spine.
His mouth moved away from my lips and down my neck. I tilted my head back as he kissed his way down my throat, then made a pained sound as the muscles in my neck and across my shoulders tightened.
“Jenna?” Rylan pushed himself up off of me so fast I could barely process it. “Did I hurt you?” He knelt next to the couch. “Love, I'm so sorry.”
I shook my head, wincing as the movement pulled things. “No, that's not it.” I sat up. “I'm sore from yesterday. I'm in good shape, but skiing took a whole different set of muscles and I didn't stretch...”
His expression relaxed. “Wait right here.”
He stood and walked quickly down the hall. I watched him go as I slowly rolled my neck and stretched my arms out. I'd stayed in the same position for far too long. If I would've moved around, I wouldn’t have been so stiff.
“On your stomach,” Rylan said as he walked back into the room. He held something in his hand.
“What's that?” I asked.
“On your stomach,” he repeated, his voice taking on a bit of that authoritative note it got.
I did as he said, grimacing as the muscles in my legs protested. Yeah, I really should've paid more attention to getting up and moving around today. Whatever Rylan had planned, I would go along with it, but I would be even more sore tomorrow.
“Does the scent of jasmine bother you?”
I looked over my shoulder at him, puzzled. “No, why?”
He opened the bottle and the scent of jasmine immediately filled the air. “Relax, love. I'm going to take care of you.”
Before I could ask what that meant, his fingers were at the clasp of my bra. He unhooked it and helped me ease my arms out of it.
“Don't want to ruin something so beautiful,” he said softly as he set the bra aside. My panties came off next. “Just relax,” he repeated his previous command.
I had my head turned towards him, but couldn't see exactly what he was doing, only a general idea. He looked like he was putting something on his hands and rubbing them together. When he put his hands on my back that I knew exactly what he was going to do.
I moaned as his strong fingers massaged my sore muscles. He started at my spine with firm pressure, working through each knot and sore spot. The oil he'd put on his hands made for warm friction that further softened things. I closed my eyes as his hands slowly made their way up to my shoulders and then down my arms. I'd never had anyone give me a massage before and what Rylan was doing now was amazing.
He moved down to my feet and I made a sound. The bottoms of my feet were usually really ticklish, but I was too limp to do much of anything. Then his thumbs were putting pressure in all the right spots on my feet and it was doing delicious things to other parts of my body.
“Ahh.” I let out a moan that wasn't only about how the stiffness was being forced from my body.
“I'm going to take that as a positive.” Rylan sounded amused.
I would've given him some sort of snarky reply if I'd been able to form a coherent thought. At the moment, 'ahh' was about all I could muster.
His fingers moved up from my feet to my ankles, then my calves. I bit my lip as a flare of pain went through my legs, but I couldn't completely stop the pained sound.
“Shh, love,” he murmured. “I know it hurts right now, but it'll get better. I promise.”
It was funny, I thought as I tried to focus on how good it had felt. I'd had people tell me similar things when I was younger. They'd lied. Rylan wouldn't.
The pain didn't last long as he kneaded the knots from my muscles and turned my leg into something that felt like jelly. When he started on the other leg, I was ready. By the time he finished with my legs, I was breathing heavy and his hands were on my ass, continuing the massage. Slowly, it turned from making me feel better to...making me feel better.
His fingers and thumbs dug into the firm muscles of my ass, then up my back, his fingers going along my sides this time so that he could caress the sides of my breasts. I moaned again as he worked down, his thumbs teasing between my legs until I was wet and throbbing.
“Feeling better now?” he asked as he pressed his lips against my spine.
“Mmm.” I shook my head. “Nope.”
“No?”
“Won't feel better until you're inside me.”
He uttered a low oath and then his hands were gone. I summoned all of my energy and rolled onto my side, catching the last bit of what had probably been the world's fastest striptease. Rylan's cock was already hard as he kicked off his underwear. I licked my lips and he growled.
I thought he'd have me lay down but, to my surprise, he sat down on the couch where I'd just been laying. When he reached over to the end table, I knew what he was going for and it was time for me to share the little surprise I'd been waiting for. I'd been a little too out of it the first night, but now I was thinking clearly. Well, clearly enough.
“No.” I rose up on my knees, marveling at how much better my legs felt.
Rylan gave me a puzzled look. “If you're not feeling...I just thought...”
“I got my test results before we left.” I threw my leg across his lap and straddled him. His eyes went wide as I reached beneath me and positioned him at my entrance. “I'm clean. We don't have to use anything.” I paused, suddenly uncertain. “Unless you want to.”
He put his hands on my waist and held me in place as he lifted his hips just far enough
for his head to slide inside. “I've been dreaming about having you like this from the moment I first met you.”
I looked down at him. It wasn't often that I got to see him in this position. I put my hands on either side of his face and leaned down to brush my lips across his. “Then have me.”
I cried out as he lowered me onto his cock. I let him take my weight, take control even though I was on top. My head fell back as he filled me, his cock stretching me, reaching every inch. His mouth latched onto my breast, lips and tongue suckling at my nipple until I came for the first time. He scooted forward even as my body shook around him. His mouth moved up to my collarbone as he used one arm to keep me steady and the other to wrap my legs around his waist.
“Let me do the work,” he said before taking my mouth again.
I draped my arms around his neck as he began to move us. The thrusts were shallow and the base of his cock rubbed against my clit with each one. Each new one sent another ripple of pleasure through me until I was whimpering, every cell on fire. Not a bright and burning flame, but a slow smolder that threatened to consume me.
“I've got you, love.” Rylan whispered as he clutched me to him. “Come with me. I'm so close. Come with me.”
“I've got you too,” I spoke against his ear. “Come inside me, love.”
He let out a primal sound as his body jerked against mine. The first time I'd told him that I'd loved him, he'd been half-way inside me and had almost come. Now, my words pushed him over the edge. Even as he emptied himself into me, I ground down on him, giving myself what I needed to come again.
I came silently, my face pressed against Rylan's neck, the salt from his sweat on my lips. We held each other as we rode out our pleasure, our bodies as intimately joined as two could be. But it wasn't just our bodies. It was so much more than that. I knew that what we'd done meant as much to him as it did to me. Neither of us had ever trusted anyone enough to not use protection. It wasn't merely about the physical sensations that accompanied the change. It was what it represented.
