Lost Together

by Cynthia Knoble

  “No, I just need a little rest.”

  Smiling, he resumed his gentle stroking. It was so soothing, and she was so sleepy. She just needed to close her eyes for a minute, and recharge her batteries. Eyes closed, she smiled contently, and didn’t have another thought.

  Chapter 31

  Sniffing deeply as awareness dawned, Saffron smelled freshly-brewed coffee. How? She was just waking up. Rory. Opening her eyes, she saw him sitting on the edge of the bed beside her, holding two steamy mugs, and smiling.

  “Good morning, beautiful. I didn’t really want to wake you, but it’s getting late, so I thought I’d wake you up with coffee.”

  Usually a rancid harpy until she got at least one cup of coffee into her in the morning, she returned his smile as she sat up. “Good morning, and thank you. What time is it?”

  “Almost nine.”

  “Seriously? Oh shit, yeah, I slept long enough.” Taking the coffee from him, she sipped from it. Even a single sip seemed to invigorate her, almost as much as Rory’s presence did. Dressed, he was as gorgeous as ever. A slight scent of sunshine and alpaca wafted from him. He’d already tended to the animals. She gasped. “Oh my God! I fell asleep last night. After you … I was supposed to … I’m so sorry.” Heat spread across her cheeks. She’d fallen asleep, after he’d pleasured her, and before she could return the favour.

  “It’s okay. You had an exhausting day yesterday, and you needed the sleep.”

  “Still, I feel bad. You didn’t get anything last night, after pleasing me.”

  He grinned “You can make up for that now. After your coffee, though.” Then he shrugged. “I hope you don’t mind I slept here last night. I mean, I know you didn’t invite me to, but I didn’t want you to wake up and find me gone, and then think I didn’t want to stay with you, because I did.”

  Could he possibly be real? He was so perfect it almost brought tears to her eyes. “Of course I don’t mind.” She placed her mug on the bedside table. Badly needing to pee, her back teeth felt like they were floating, and she winced, hating to ruin this perfect moment they shared. “I have to use the bathroom. Sorry, I don’t want to leave you.”

  “Don’t be silly.” He stood. “Let’s have breakfast. I bet you’re hungry. I sure am. Meet me in the kitchen when you’re ready.”

  He left the room, and, as Saffron rose from bed, she could barely believe all that had occurred since yesterday afternoon. He was too good to be true, and she’d had him in her bed. Sure, she’d fallen asleep, but she intended to make up for that after breakfast.

  After quickly washing and dressing, she entered the kitchen to find Rory cooking. “You’re fast,” she informed him. “All I did was go pee. Well, and get dressed, too. And you don’t have to do that, you know, I can make breakfast.”

  “Oh, I know, except you make breakfast every morning. Today, I’m doing it.”

  He glanced at her quickly before he went back to frying bacon, smiling as he did. “I love that T-shirt, but you could have come down here naked. I wouldn’t have minded.”

  “Ha. I promise I’ll get naked after breakfast again.”

  Not remembering what she’d thrown on in her haste to come downstairs, she glanced down at herself and chuckled. She was wearing a T-shirt Basil sent her when she first bought the ranch. It had a cartoon Yoda on it, wearing a cowboy hat, and chaps. Underneath the image, lettering proclaimed: Yoda best rancher! She’d laughed so hard when she’d opened the package, imagining the sour look on her mother’s face when Basil had insisted on buying the shirt, and sending it to her.

  “My brother sent me this, when I first got the ranch.”

  “I take it he’s got a good sense of humour,” Rory commented.

  “That he does. Basil’s the best.”

  Before long, the pair sat at the table, eating breakfast while constantly smiling at one another. She couldn’t get over how darn cute Rory was. He was so eager to please, and she couldn’t wait to please him.

  Shortly after, they returned to the bedroom. She hadn’t wanted to wash the breakfast dishes, but he’d just laughed and started on them, prompting her to help out to get them done faster. Now, that duty performed, she had another to do. He’d pleased her last night before she’d fallen asleep, and received nothing in return. While he hadn’t complained about it, brushing it off when she kept apologizing, she knew he must have been uncomfortable last night, hard for quite some time before she’d fallen asleep.

  Almost at the bed, Rory pulled her into his arms to deliver a passionate kiss. Like the ones last night, it was soft, but insistent, tender, and loving. As they kissed, she ran her hands through his hair, and his hands slid down her back to cup her butt cheeks. He really must like her ass, for he quite literally couldn’t keep his hands off it. His acceptance of her body stoked the fire within her, and an overwhelming desire to please him took over her. It was more than a desire to make up for last night, she wanted to please him to thank him for being such an amazing man.

  Breaking their kiss, she licked his chin, and then bit it lightly. He hadn’t shaved today, and his stubble, while a bit scratchy, looked so sexy that she didn’t mind the slight abrasiveness of it. She kissed the hollow between his collarbones, exposed by the first few undone buttons of his shirt. As she unbuttoned his shirt, she kissed each bit of his chest she revealed, sinking to her knees as she did. After pulling his shirttails from his jeans, she undid the last button and then flung the two sides of the shirt back. Her fingers went to work on his belt buckle.

  “You don’t have to do that,” Rory told her softly.

  But she did. While she’d never enjoyed fellating men, she wanted to do it for him, wanting to please him as much as she possibly could. Looking up, she locked eyes with him. “I want to do this for you.”

  He smiled so warmly, it almost made her cry. She held his eyes as she unfastened his jeans and then yanked them, and his underwear, almost to his knees. Taking him in her hands, almost moaning at the wondrous feel of his silky skin over the steeliness of his erection, she maintained eye contact with him. His eyelids drooped as she ran one hand the length of him, finishing up by rubbing her thumb over the tip.

  Cupping his balls with one hand, she place her other on his thigh, and then leaned forward, engulfing him with her mouth, keeping her eyes locked with his. He moaned, loudly, and shuddered a little.

  “Ah, I’m not going to last.” He sounded embarrassed and disappointed at once. “It’s been a really long time, and with you looking at me like that—sweetheart, I can’t take it.”

  Not caring how long he’d last, intent on pleasing him, she licked up the underside of him, and then took him between her lips again. His hands gripped her shoulders as she continued slowly, trying to draw out his pleasure, alternating long licks, soft sucks, and tracing the roping veins there with the tip of her tongue. His hips began to pump a little, and she felt the tremble of his thigh under her hand.

  “Saffron, I’m close, real close.”

  His gruff voice, barely above a whisper, had her squirming. Massaging his balls firmly, she stroked him with her other hand, not taking her eyes off his. He bit his lip as his hips bucked. Then his eyelids fluttered. She palmed his tip as he climaxed, grunting loudly, and his body visibly tensed. When she resumed stroking his length, he shivered, and then pulled back from her.

  “Enough, I’m really sensitive right now.”

  He offered his hands, and she placed his in his. After he helped her to her feet, he kissed her deeply, and then pressed his forehead to hers.

  “Thank you, that was amazing. I’ll go get cleaned up, and then it’s your turn.”

  “No way,” she shot back. “I’m not done with you. Get naked, I’ll be right back.”

  He raised a brow but didn’t say anything. She went to the bathroom on slightly wobbly legs, her arousal raging, and her parts aching for his touch. However, she wasn’t finished making up for her abandonment of him last night. Returning to the bedroom with a warm, wet
washcloth, she found him naked, as requested, waiting for her, standing almost exactly where she’d left him. He kissed her as she washed him, delivering those soft, tender kisses that pulled at her heart and her sex in equal measure.

  Rearing back from him, she headed for the nightstand, and the box of condoms within it. After pulling a foiled package out, she laid it on the nightstand. As she turned, Rory was directly before her, and pulled her into another embrace and pressed his lips to hers. His kisses grew more insistent, and she felt the throb of his erection, pressed between them, against her belly.

  With an arm wrapped around her, he reached for the condom. “C’mon, sweetheart, let’s get in bed.”

  She complied with his request as he covered himself. Joining her, he straddled her, his knees on either side of her waist, sitting back on his heels. His stiffness atop her mons, he caressed her breasts, as he met her eyes.

  “I’m so happy we’re finally doing this.” He gently tweaked a nipple, causing her to writhe slightly. “I want to take my time with you, and kiss every inch of you, but I’m dying to get inside you.”

  She bit her lip, hardly believing he could want her as much as she did him. “Take me, Rory, like this, I want to kiss you the whole time.”

  His eyelids drooped as he let out a soft groan. Was it true? Did she turn him on that much? His hands came down on the mattress on either side of her shoulders and, when he shifted his body, she spread her legs, her knees bent. Nestling against her, he kissed her deeply, his tongue gently probing her mouth. God did she want him! She wanted him to ravage her, take her hard and fast, but his slow, tender movements were so endearing, with a potent sexiness of their own. As she lightly sucked on his tongue, he reached between them and she felt his hardness against her. He pushed in a bit, and then lifted his head slightly to engage her eyes. His were bright, filled with lust, and holding something she couldn’t read, affection maybe.

  He entered her slowly, bit by bit, making her struggle to maintain their eye contact. It felt so good, and, for a moment, she thought she’d orgasm from a single thrust. Entrenched in her, he rotated his hips, and they both moaned. As he set a slow, steady rhythm, she wrapped her legs around his waist, and then cupped his cheeks. They kissed with a smooth languidness, one that pushed her toward her climax as surely as his thrusts did. Her breaths grew ragged, as his did, and he moaned loudly against her hips.

  Laying his upper body on hers, his hands snaked under her to grasp her ass, as the side of his face pressed against hers. She stroked his head with one hand, raking her fingernails lightly over his back with the other. His rhythm grew faster and harder, and he grunted with each stroke. He was close, surely as close as she was. Moving with him, matching his thrusts, heat gathered in her lower belly, spreading down. She was so engorged, so close, and dug her fingertips into his back, as she fisted his hair, crying out with each impalement now.

  With a loud groan, one of Rory’s hands left her, but then pushed between them. When he began to rub her firmly, she squirmed, breaking her rhythm, and let out a loud gasp.

  “Come with me, sweetheart,” Rory’s raspy voice sounded.

  His gentle command, with a rough delivery, tipped her over the edge. Writhing, she cried out loudly, gripping him tightly. Grasping both ass cheeks again, he drove into her sharply, prolonging her release, and, with a massive grunt, he then stilled, finding his. She shuddered, breathing heavily as her legs vibrated. His hot breath blasted against her neck as he started to move again, rotating his hips slightly. As she calmed, he propped himself up on his elbows to meet her eyes. His hair tousled, sweaty, cheeks flushed, he was the sexiest sight she’d ever seen, and the serenity in his eyes struck her. They appeared different now, the simmering intensity she’d often seen gone.

  When his lips covered hers, delivering yet another gentle, sweet kiss, she moaned contentedly. She’d just experienced the softest, most tender sex, and it far exceeded the raw, animalistic sessions with other men that she’d thought she loved. Rory was the best lover she’d ever had, and, as she sucked his tongue into her mouth, she hoped this was the first of many shared unions.

  Shortly after, lying in bed, facing one another, Saffron and Rory conversed softly, all the while gently caressing each other. She was completed relaxed, almost unbelievably so. Aside from sex with Rory, nothing had changed, and all her pressing problems were still there. They seemed minimized though, somehow, and it was easy to ignore them as she enjoyed the togetherness she shared with Rory.

  Talk of the ranch’s opening day soon changed to the usual getting-to-know-you questions. She’d just told him she hailed from Mississauga, a city bordering Toronto, but had gone to school, and eventually moved to, and worked in, Toronto. She thought Tansy had come up in a previous conversation with him, but she told him of Tansy, and the business she ran with her boyfriend, Tymyn. She confirmed both Tansy, and Basil, her brother, who’d sent the T-shirt, were younger than her. She didn’t disclose Basil’s cerebral palsy, only as she didn’t want to have the accompanying conversation. Rory would tell her how sorry he was, and then comment on how hard that situation must be on her family, which in turn would lead to her talking about her issues with her mother. More content than she could ever remembering being, she didn’t want to ruin it with talk of her mother.

  Rory’s eyes danced with amusement as he snickered. “Tymyn. That’s his real name?”

  “No, that’s the one he gave himself. He used to be Timothy. Not that he told me that, Tansy did. Honestly, I’m surprised he told Tansy.”

  “He sounds stuck-up.”

  “Oh, that’s putting it mildly.”

  Rory’s fingertips traced the contours of her cheek. “Your sister’s not like that, is she? When you talk about her, it doesn’t sound like she’s conceited.”

  “Unfortunately, she’s starting to be more like him.” She sighed. “I hate saying it, but it’s the truth. Tansy’s always been a free-spirit, the type of person who marches to the beat of a different drummer, but one who accepts all the other beats out there, you know? Now, I don’t know, it’s like he’s poisoning her thoughts.” She scrunched up her nose. “That sounded really dramatic, didn’t it?”

  “Not really. I think I know what you mean. Have you talked to her about it?”

  “No. She’s, well, she isn’t as receptive to other’s opinions as she once was. I love her so much, and the last thing I want to do is argue with her.”

  “I can understand that,” he replied. “I avoid butting heads with Boone for the exact same reason.”

  “But you two get along well, don’t you?”

  “Very well, actually, yeah. That wasn’t always the case, but it is now. And I guess, like you, I don’t want to rock that boat. Boone’s done so much for me. I don’t want him to think I’m ungrateful.”

  “You’d hardly be ungrateful if you were just speaking your mind,” she pointed out.

  “Well, Tansy wouldn’t think you loved her any less if you did the same.”

  “Touché.” She grinned when he chuckled at her quip. “Maybe we both need to strengthen our backbones when it comes to our siblings.” Gently, she ran her fingertips over Rory’s brow line, tracing his eyebrows, astounded at how long his eyelashes were. Ugh, why did men always have better eyelashes than women? “So, Boone. What do you two butt heads over?”

  “Mostly how much he does for me. Yeah, I’ve needed to rely on him for a place to stay, for a vehicle, groceries—” He blew out a breath and shook his head a little. “Actually for everything when I wasn’t working, which was almost always.”

  “I’m sorry. It must have been so hard for you since your release. I mean, obviously prison must have been awful, but things were supposed to be better when you got out.” When he didn’t respond, she glided her fingertips over his lips, full, soft, and ripe for kissing. He was so beautiful, inside and out, and again she could hardly believe he was in her bed. “I get that it’s hard for you to rely on Boone, but I’m sure he wants to
take care of you. He’s the oldest. I mean, I shouldn’t speak for him, but being the oldest child in my family, I always want to look out for my brother and sister.”

  “I get that, I do.” His eyes looked sad, and she regretted going down this path in their conversation. Just when she was about to change the subject, he spoke again. “I think it goes back to when we were younger. When I was fifteen, our parents died in a car accident.”

  She sucked in a startled breath. Her heart pounding ferociously, as it simultaneously ached for him, she could hardly believe Rory had endured more heartbreak than what she’d already been aware of. Zandra’s rape, Rory’s beating of Tom Parsons and subsequent prison sentence—My God! Wasn’t that enough for him to have to bear? On top of events that already could’ve broken him, he’d also lost both his parents at a young age. When her eyes misted, he stroked her cheek.

  “Hey, don’t do that, don’t feel sorry for me. It was a long time ago. Yes, it was hard at the time, but, well, bad things happen to people all the time. I’ve seen my share of hardships, but some people have been dealt a tougher hand than mine. Life just isn’t fair sometimes.”

  “No, it isn’t.” She couldn’t help but think life had been particularly cruel to Rory, but didn’t voice the thought. He was right, of course, someone always had it worse than you did. The notion had her feeling like a whimpering baby over her issues, both past and present. They hardly compared to what Rory had been through, and yet, at every opportunity, he’d done everything he could to help her with her problems. After trying to swallow the hard lump in her throat, she traced his eyebrow with a fingertip. “You’re really amazing, you know, dealing with everything you’ve been through.”

  “Hardly. If anything, Boone’s the amazing one. He was only twenty, and he raised us from then on. Everyone told him he wouldn’t be able to handle it, but he wouldn’t hear of putting us in foster care. He kept us together as a family.” He smiled, limply. “That’s what I was getting at before. He’s done so much, too much, really, and he’s never faltered. Sure, there were some hiccups along the way, but he did right by us. And then kept doing it, even when I was an adult. He’s always taken care of me. Once, just once, I want to do something for him. I want to repay him for all he’s done, and I know I won’t be able to.”