“Dia?”
She carried the towels to the open shower door and stopped. Ryan was fully naked, his long body much more defined than she’d expected from a self-professed geek. He looked over at her and smiled as the water ran over his head and down the magnificent length of him. She stepped forward and placed the towels on one of the many built-in benches surrounding the room. Without hesitating, she pulled her dress over her head, and slipped out of her bra and panties. She knew he watched her every move and knew too, from the rise of his manhood, he very much liked what he saw.
“I was beginning to think you’d changed your mind.”
Dia shook her head and walked into the spray, to stand before him. “No. I just needed a moment.”
He nodded. “Are you done with it?”
She couldn’t help grinning. “I am.”
“Good.”
Ryan reached out and grasped her skull, sliding his fingers through her hair. His gaze locked onto hers, he pulled her closer, before leaning down to place a gentle kiss across her lips. He licked his lips slowly, as if tasting her, causing Dia to take a shaky breath. He waited a heartbeat before taking her lips again, only this time he lingered and delved until she melted into him, and rock hard wet flesh met soft feminine wet flesh.
Once he pulled back he smiled at her with a gentleness that stole her breath. “I’m not making love to you in here. Our first time is going to be in your bed. But I have no problem working up to it for a while.”
Dia nodded, unable to speak. She closed her eyes as he took a step back and then opened them to find him adoring her with his gaze.
“I’m going to touch and taste every inch of your beautiful body.”
Dia was able to find a small smile, though she had no doubt he saw her lips trembling now. She held her breath as he reached out and ran a finger around the curve of her ear, before he leaned forward and placed a light kiss there. He allowed her hair to fall back down, as he inspected the curve of her jaw with as much gentleness, and then, again, kissed along the line where he’d touched. The length of her neck was next, followed by the line of her collarbone and rounds of her shoulders. He paid homage to each, before looking into her eyes again.
“You can touch me, too.”
Dia inhaled sharply as his words were accompanied by his fingers sliding down the indention above her breasts. Her breaths rose and lowered quickly in her lungs’ desperate attempt to keep up with the adrenaline rushing through her veins. She closed her eyes and panted as his fingers traveled downward then across to lightly brush a nipple. About to open her eyes, she moaned instead as wet lips grasped then suckled and licked, while he molded and then lightly pinched the other aching nub. Her knees buckled, but he caught her around the waist before she fell far. She looked up at the smile on his face and felt the heat that already flushed her body, fill her cheeks.
“I’ve never…. I mean I didn’t know….” Dia struggled to find the words, but was saved the effort when he lifted her so he could kiss her, then nuzzled her neck through her mass of wet hair. By the time he lowered her to her feet she was completely undone.
“I love the smell of the shampoo. I’ve already bathed, if you’ll let me, I’d love to take care of you.”
Dia nodded, still unable to believe this man had just walked into her life and was somehow the most important thing that had ever been there. She allowed him to pour the fragrant shampoo onto her hair, and nearly melted again as he massaged the indigenes plant based liquid into a lather against her scalp. She hummed in pleasure as he lifted her and burst into giggles as the suds ran down her body and his, once she’d placed her hands on his shoulders and he raised her even higher into the spray. He kissed her softly as he lowered her, only to fill his palm with the conditioner also produced at her great uncle’s factory to work it into her hair as if each blond lock was worthy of attention. After a second rinse Dia allowed him to wash her body with his large hands and knew by the slowness of his movements and the wonder in his eyes, he was enthralled with each and every inch of her flesh.
She was already blindsided by desire and barely able to stand by the time he lowered himself to his knees and nudged her wobbling legs apart enough to gently wash and rinse her there. He kissed her belly with adoring lips as he finished cleansing her body. His lips were again on her, capturing rinse water as well as flesh as he licked his way to her core. Were it not for the anchoring of his hands upon her butt cheeks, and hers upon his shoulders, she knew she’d melt onto the tiled floor.
She moaned his name and Ryan rose slowly, sliding up her body until she felt the full impact of his erection. He held her to him as he maneuvered them to turn off each of the many knobs and then took her to the bench where she’d left the towels. Dia knew she should help, but he’d stolen her strength, so she stood still and allowed him to wrap first her hair, then pat down and cover her from breasts to thighs, before lifting her into his arms.
“I’m going to need to get shower shoes,” he said, laughing, as he struggled to slip into the expensive boat shoes he’d worn to town.
Dia smiled up at him, thinking that was the most romantic thing he could have said. “You don’t have to carry me.”
Ryan grinned. “Yes, I do.”
He was careful as he took them back down the heavily wooded path that kept the shower house hidden from the view. Once inside the cabin, he set her on her feet. He gave her no time to think before unwinding the towels from her hair and body and tossing them into the small sink next to her refrigerator.
He lifted her face to stare into her eyes. “Not changed your mind?”
Dia shook her head slowly. “No. You?”
He laughed and let his masterful lips answer for him. The kiss consumed her mind and flamed a fire already flaring throughout her body until she had to break away to gasp for breath. She dove right back in, her former lethargy replaced with empowerment that had her curling her fingers into the flesh of his back in her attempt to get closer. Her need transmitted to him, and he changed from being a gentle man to one willing to let his hunger reign. Before she knew how, the covers were thrown back, and they were upon her soft sheet. But by the time her mind registered the change, her body was being ravaged, and she craved and demanded more.
What Dia had expected was gentle love play. There was none of that. She reveled in her hunger for him as his mouth and hands were everywhere, tormenting and tasting, tearing and filling, all but where she ached most. She blindly let herself go, grasping and clinging, clawing and biting, loving that it only fed his own wild need. When he slid into her, she was more than ready, and the slight pain of invasion was something to celebrate to the depths of her soul. Ryan ravaged her lips as he rode her body and Dia fought to hold on to the rising tide of fire burning inside. But the pressure built too fast, and the explosion, when it came, tore her lips from his as her scream of joy ripped through the cabin’s air. Ryan strained, stilled, and emptied into her, his hot seed bathing her own banking fire. He collapsed onto her but immediately rolled them so she was on top. As though he weren’t spent, he continued the assault on her lips, until finally he gentled to wallow in one last kiss before he lifted her head back enough to look into her eyes.
He gasped, as his mouth fell open. “Your eyes!”
As if slapped from a dream Dia stilled, knowing what he saw. She lowered her lashes immediately, but he tilted her chin upward.
“Don’t do that.”
Dia struggled, wanting to get away, but he held her firmly against his body. “Please, let me up. I can’t help it.”
Ryan waited until she looked back up. “I mean, don’t hide yourself from me like that. Your eyes are beautiful, but I’ve never seen anything like what they do.”
Dia forced herself to relax. “I don’t know why they do that. They just always have.”
Ryan smiled teasingly. “So it wasn’t just me.”
Not knowing what to say, Dia bit her lip. She slid down slightly so she could lay her head on hi
s chest. Swallowing was difficult because she searched for acceptable words, but there was no way to explain without revelations she couldn’t offer. Not knowing how much of herself to reveal safely, yet knowing she had to find something to say, she opened her mouth and truth spilled out.
“They only do it when I’m very emotional.”
Ryan stroked her hair. “Like angry?”
Dia smiled at his reaction. “Or happy.”
“Or afraid?”
Dia nuzzled him and spoke through the kiss she placed on his chest. “Or excited.”
“Or sexually satisfied?” he asked, amusement in his voice.
Dia laughed lightly. “Apparently.”
She rode his deep sigh, wondering if her eyes really bothered him. It didn’t feel like that was the case, but she understood why they would. He was silent for a time, and she was afraid to rise up and ask what he was thinking about.
“I meant to go slower.”
Ah… She rose up then and placed her hands together on his chest so she could look him in the eyes. “That was the most perfect experience of my entire life.”
He curled up to kiss her lips gently. “Mine too,” he said, relaxing back.
“So what do we do now?”
Ryan rolled them over and she giggled. “We have two choices. We can clean ourselves up and get out those strawberries and the whipped cream, or we can see if I can go slower on my second try.”
Dia grinned and pretended to ponder her options. “Since I’m a little sore, maybe we could snack on something other than each other for just a little while?”
Ryan pretended to look disappointed but kissed her soundly anyway.
“Or, we could snack on the whipped cream on each other….”
A flash of light entered his eyes. “Now, you’re talking!”
Ryan rose and pulled her up with him. They took a moment to play at washing each other at the sink, both fully aroused by the time they’d dried off, but had to take a moment to wipe down the water they’d splashed all over the side of the refrigerator and floor as well. The strawberries were washed, and Ryan insisted the stems and leaves be removed, before being placed into a bowl. He retrieved the can of whipped cream and turned to her with laughter in his eyes. Dia squealed as he approached her but stood her ground while he made pasties of the sugary cream. Her legs nearly buckled when he licked off the first, then tortured her nipple with lips and teeth.
By the time he’d addressed the other, she was ready to give as well as get. She snatched the can from his hands and ran a line down his center from breastbone to belly button, not yet brave enough to go lower. His eyes flared with surprise, and he held her hair back when she pitched the can to the bed and grasped his hips to lean forward. A tiny daring thrill allowed her to move one hand to the star of his show. She grasped his engorged penis and reveled in his swift gasping breaths. With a quick glance upward, she grinned, only to find him frozen in anticipation. Deciding to torment him, she stuck her tongue in his navel, causing him to flinch. Empowered, she licked like a kitten drinking from a saucer, her darting tongue taking only a little of the cream with each hit.
“You’re killing me,” he said breathlessly.
Dia grinned as she took another taste and then slid her tongue up several inches. As she held the cream on her tongue, she dropped her gaze to his straining member. Without hesitation she lowered her head and took him into her mouth, tightening her fingers around the base of his cock.
“Oh… my…God!” Ryan exclaimed as his knees buckled, and he grasped her shoulders, his fingers biting into her flesh.
Dia stroked him with lips and tongue as deeply as she could, knowing she’d yet to completely engulf him. Before she could adjust to take him deeper, he grasped her jaw and pulled her up slowly, but she tightened both hold and suction, until her lips caught on the swollen head.
“Dia, please,” he said, breathlessly. “Not yet. Oh, God, not yet.”
The chuckle from her throat was her only answer as she pushed his hands away.
“Please. I want to pleasure you first. I’m not going to last if you don’t stop, now.
“Dia!”
With a slight shake of her head, he emitted a broken sound she was sure had never left his lips before. Delighted, she suckled her way down again, this time going a little further. His hands were once again on her shoulders, but now he was moving, sliding into her oral-strokes. As turned on as he, she continued, getting bolder and deeper each time. The subtle change in the stiffening of his legs alerted her he’d reached his limit. She stood with a last upward stroke and threw her arms around his neck while their lips collided. He lifted her, and she slid onto him and held on for the shattering ride she feared would take a lifetime to recover from. By the time she was on her feet again, neither of them had much strength to play at the sink, so the laborious cleansing took only minutes.
With the bowl of strawberries in one hand and her in the other, Ryan pulled Dia back to the blessedly welcoming bed.
Chapter Eight
Morning broke slowly for Ryan. He had no desire to awaken the amazing woman by his side. He lay facing her, looking from her beautifully disheveled head of nearly white hair to the long white-gold lashes that fanned out above her slightly flushed cheeks, and then on to the plumpness of her delectable soft lips. He inhaled sharply at the memory of what those lips could and had done to him the night before, which hadn’t ended until long after they’d taken the strawberries to bed with them. He closed his eyes, not wanting to become so aroused he woke her. He knew she had to be exhausted and more than likely pretty sore.
That he’d been her first was beyond amazing. It could only be explained by her sense of self-value and the obvious stupidity of every other man on the planet. That she’d chosen him still bowled him over, but he was happy to take the fall.
“Good morning.”
Ryan opened his eyes, so happy to see she awoke clear eyed and alert. “Good morning.”
“I knew you were awake because you were smiling.”
Ryan chuckled. “I could have been having a hot dream.”
Dia studied his face. “Were you?”
He shook his head. “No. My hot dream is right in front of me.”
She blushed, and his heart swelled, knowing she was still an innocent at heart, even after a night of ravenous lovemaking. “You are so beautiful, it takes my breath.”
Dia leaned forward and kissed him lightly. “As are you. How is it girls didn’t fall all over you, from the time you hit puberty?”
Ryan gave her question real consideration before he answered. “I guess I got some attention once I started college, but I was so young and awkward I didn’t trust it. Like I told you before, I’m not good with people.” He frowned. “My mother isn’t either, and I guess I just took after her.”
“You are good with me.” She grinned, a self-satisfied gleam in her eyes.
Ryan nodded. “I am now. But I wasn’t at first. I thought the looks you gave me were just you being naturally friendly.” He frowned, realizing he’d always interpreted the looks women gave him that way.
“Are you feeling regret that you didn’t, I don’t know, take women’s interest the way it was meant before?”
Amazed they were thinking along the same lines, he shook his head. “Not regret. I’m really glad you are the first woman I’ve ever been intimate with.”
Dia smiled. “Me too.”
He bathed in the sincerity of her eyes. “At first I was afraid I’d disappoint you, and then I realized if what was between us was real, I couldn’t. Nothing has ever been more real for me. I’m completely in lo… crazy about you.”
She bit her lip and then looked down so her lashes were once again shading her eyes. Ryan held his breath, knowing she’d caught that he’d almost said love. If she wasn’t on the same page, which made complete sense given their short time together… He cringed, afraid he’d spoken too soon. She glanced back up, and her heart was in her eyes allowin
g him to test taking a breath.
“I feel the same way.”
Relief swept through him and he pulled her to him. “You scared me there for a minute.”
Dia snuggled into him. “I’m sorry. I’m just scared of us both feeling so much, so quickly. What if it doesn’t last?”
Ryan couldn’t imagine that happening and told her so, but there was something in her eyes… Caution maybe? The last thing he wanted was for her to hold back whatever it was she thought and felt. But he didn’t want to push her and hoped time would take away whatever fears she had. Though he’d be more than happy to show her, again, just how much she meant to him, he knew he had to shift gears.
“I guess I need to go see my father. I told him I’d come back this morning.”
Dia nodded. “That’s okay. I hope he gets better.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to explain about Clayton, but he held the words inside. With their relationship so new, and though he hated to admit it, tenuous, he didn’t want to add crazy into the mix. “I hope he does, too.”
Ryan kissed her soundly, relieved she didn’t hesitate to kiss back. “Before I decide we can’t leave this bed….”
Dia laughed as he wiggled his eyebrows. “I totally agree. Family before…” She looked away then back at him, the laugher gone. “Love,” she added softly.
“To hell with that.” Ryan’s heart burst free and he ravaged her with his lips, hands, and male body. She was wild and opened to him in every way without hesitation. When they were both spent, they knew a shower was in order, but it too turned from an innocent facility of cleansing to an oasis for desperately erotic sex. By the time they were finally able to dress, the sun was high in the sky.
“I’m sorry. I hope your dad isn’t mad.”
Ryan shrugged. “It took twenty-five years to know he existed. I think he can give me a few hours.” He frowned, hating that he resented having to deal with everything his father represented when his life had otherwise become perfect.
Unforgettable Heroes II Boxed Set Page 163
