by Noelle Adams
“Yes.”
“What is it? Why won’t you tell me? I know I surprised you with the proposal, and I’m sorry about that. But I love you more than anything, and I didn’t want to wait any longer. But I can. If you’re not ready, I promise I can wait. I’m not trying to control this. I’ll do anything in the world to make you happy.”
He meant it. She knew he meant it. Her face twisted a little as she said, “I want to make you happy too.”
His face softened. “You already have. So can you please tell me what’s wrong?”
She stared down at her hands in her lap.
“Ashley? Do you think you can…”
His voice trailed off stupidly. His eyes had followed hers, and he was now transfixed by her hands.
Well, one hand in particular. One finger in particular.
“Ashley?” he breathed, in an altered, awed voice.
Feeling suddenly foolish, she twisted her hands together.
“Ashley?” he said again, grabbing her left arm and pulling her hand forward. Taking it in both of his.
Her mind was a chaotic jumble of every emotion all at once. Ethan had always had the power to do that to her.
His face was nothing short of enraptured as his eyes kept darting from her hand to her face. “How long have you been wearing this?”
Ashley darted a look up at him. “Since this morning.”
“No wonder you were so upset with me.” Ethan reached up to cup her face, forcing her to look into his eyes. “Ashley?” he asked again, almost a plea in the one word.
There was no way she could speak—her throat was constricted from the depth of her feelings. But she nodded and tried to smile.
Apparently, it was enough.
Ethan let out the most desperately relieved groan she had ever heard—as if weeks of anxiety and frustration were finally released. Then he yanked her toward him. Wrapped his arms around her so tightly that she could feel the painful pressure on her ribcage.
She didn’t mind at all. Hugged him just as tightly.
And then, before she knew what was happening, Ethan had hauled her into the bedroom. Into the bed. And her clothes were getting tossed across the room—skirt, top, panties, bra. Everything except her engagement ring and the necklace Ethan had given her after their first year together. Queen Anne’s Lace with a deep red heart in crystal.
She was completely naked before she had managed to even unbutton Ethan’s shirt. “Slow down,” she complained, trying to yank his shirttails out of his pants. “I’ve got to catch up.”
Ethan kissed her long and hard, but he didn’t slow down. When he pulled away from her mouth, he simply turned his attention to his own clothes. And they quickly followed Ashley’s in being tossed across the room.
“Ashley,” Ethan mumbled, his mouth frantically devouring her breast. “You have no idea how happy…”
“I do,” she assured him, when he seemed to lose the power of speech. “I know. Me too.”
He was overwhelming and worshipping her both. With his mouth, hands, body and eyes. He didn’t waste any time, checked to see if she was ready, and then found his home in her body once more.
She wrapped her arms and her legs around him, held him as tightly as she could. They began to move together in a dance that was so familiar and yet new every time. Even after so many years.
Ashley was crying out in pleasure. In sweetness. In joy. In truth. Marveled that the universe had allowed her to be this happy—even if it was just one moment of their full, complex lives. She met Ethan’s eyes as they rocked against one another in perfect, rhythmic unity.
“Thank God I stopped for gas,” she breathed, thinking back to the beginning of their road trip.
Her comment had been random, but Ethan must be in precisely the same place. “And thank God we got shot at and had to run away.”
It was a ridiculous thing to say. But their whole road trip had been ridiculous, and confusing, and unpredictable, and difficult, and truly miraculous. Just like their relationship. Just like their lives.
Ashley felt herself starting to orgasm. Felt like the pleasure, the moment, the love, the future, the road trip would never really end.
It would. All things do.
But it was a long, lovely, lingering time—felt like an eternity—before the end of the one-thousand, eight-hundred, and twenty-first day.
***
If you enjoyed Road Tripping, then check out the deleted scene and the excerpt from one of my other books on the following pages. Please also consider telling others about Road Tripping and leaving a review. If you’d like to stay up-to-date on my new releases and sales, you can sign up for my monthly newsletter through the link on the page here.
Deleted Scene
In revisions, I ended up cutting three sex scenes from my earlier draft, since I decided that there was a limit to the number of times Ashley and Ethan should stop for sex, even in this particular book. Here’s the deleted sex scene that almost made the cut. This would have been in Day Nine, when Ashley starts thinking about stopping for a sex break.
***
Ethan pressed down on the gas pedal and accelerated the rattling station wagon. He had turned back to look at the road, but his whole body was radiating intensity.
“What are you doing?” Ashley asked suspiciously.
Ethan glanced over, his eyes scanning her body. “I’m trying to get to a stopping place as quickly as I can.”
She sputtered a little bit. “I said I didn’t want to have sex anymore.”
“I’m hoping I can change your mind.” Ethan’s lips twitched, in a way that Ashley found both annoying and irresistible. “And despite how much your anger looks like your arousal, I don’t think I’ll be making that mistake again. I’ve just discovered a way to distinguish between the two emotions.”
“And how is that?”
His eyes had been on her face, but they fell very deliberately to linger on her chest.
Ashley looked down at herself and noticed that her nipples were poking out very blatantly through the thin cotton of her top. With a horrified gasp, she covered her breasts with one arm.
“Shows what you know,” she mumbled. “I’m just cold or something.”
“Sure you are. I suppose that’s why you’re sweating.”
Damn it—she was sweating. Her forehead was slightly damp. Heat was radiating throughout her whole body. And she really, really, really wanted an orgasm soon.
She had a brief mental struggle, trying to decide whether she should stay strong and put Ethan in his place or relent and have incredible sex.
She decided on the incredible sex. And then put Ethan in his place afterwards.
If she remembered to later.
“Okay, we’ll call a truce,” she said. “Hurry up and find some place to stop.”
“I’m trying. Do you see anything around? I’m not going to just pull over on the side of the road.”
“Well, we’re in the sex-mobile, after all. Everything’s all turned down and ready for us. All we need is a somewhat secluded spot.”
Ethan was by now going about 30mph over the speed limit, but he slammed on the brakes when Ashley pointed out an empty church parking lot on the right side of the road. He veered into the lot and curved around the tiny church to park behind it. The church was clearly vacant, no one was around, and they were out of sight of the road. Trees blocked the view on two sides, the church on the third, and the other side boasted nothing but a meadow with eight or nine grazing cows. It was as ideal a spot as they could hope for.
As soon as Ethan slammed the car into park, he grabbed her and hauled her toward him, kissing her urgently. Ashley was perfectly happy to reciprocate, opening her mouth and reaching her arms around his neck. But the console between the seats kept getting in the way, which was kind of irritating.
After a minute or two, Ashley pulled back, breathing heavily. “There will be a lot more room in the back.”
Ethan was already out of the
car—he must have wanted sex as much as she did. So Ashley scrambled out as well and hurried to the rear of the station wagon where Ethan had already gotten the back open and was haphazardly spreading out the blanket they had stolen from the motel.
“Good plan,” she said as she watched him. “I’m not sure I want my skin to come into direct contact with this car. We have no idea what kinds of obscenities took place in here.”
With a smothered grin, Ethan pulled her toward him again, and she fit her body snugly against his as they kissed. He was already hard, so she rubbed herself against him and was thrilled to hear him groan throatily in response.
Shortly, Ethan turned them around and lifted Ashley by the hips until she was sitting in the back of the car. Very conveniently, the position allowed Ashley to wrap her legs around him, and she did so as Ethan’s mouth moved down to her neck.
“God, Ethan,” Ashley moaned, as she felt his teeth tease her skin. “Let’s not waste too much time with preliminaries. I’m in no mood for slow and sweet today.”
“Thank God,” Ethan breathed, raising his head and then cupping her face in his hands. “Because, honey, I don’t know how slow I can go.”
“So go fast,” she said huskily, grabbing his shirt and trying to pull him into the car with her.
Obligingly, Ethan climbed in beside her, and before she knew it, Ashley was laid out on her back with Ethan on top of her.
He was about to claim her lips once more when she stopped him. “Do you mind shutting that back door? I’m feeling kind of exposed.”
Once the door was shut, Ethan moved over her again. Kissed her very gently, his tongue tracing her lower lip and slipping in to flutter in her mouth. By this point, every inch of Ashley’s body was sensitized and on fire. But all she could feel was the throbbing ache at her center—so much worse now that she was this close to fulfilling its needs. When Ethan appeared to be stalled out at her mouth, she writhed beneath him, desperately trying to wrap her legs around one of his thighs.
He lifted his head and gazed at her, his eyes hungry and fiery and ardent.
“Ethan,” she gasped, when he didn’t do anything but look at her. “I told you that you need to go fast. I’m about to explode here.”
“Sorry. I keep getting distracted. I can’t believe this is really happening.” But as he spoke, he pushed up her shirt and cupped her breasts over her bra.
“Yeah,” she gasped, as he started rubbing her tight nipples more purposefully. “That’s good.” She arched her back into his touch, trying to intensify the sensations. Her pelvis started moving of its own accord, gyrating to the rhythm of Ethan’s motion on her breasts.
Ashley briefly wondered if it was possible to come just from this, as she started feeling pressure build up between her legs. “Enough of that. I’m ready now. I really want you inside me.”
Breathing erratically himself, Ethan slid his hands down her body until they reached the fastenings of her jeans. Undoing them, he started to push them off, taking her panties with them.
Ashley shuddered at the feel of his hands on her bare skin and lifted her hips to allow him to take off her jeans. He had gotten them to her knees when she remembered her shoes.
As he continued to slide the jeans down her legs, Ashley tried to kick off her tennis shoes. But her feet were trapped by the wadded denim, and she couldn’t get in the right position. Ethan was still working diligently on the jeans—evidently having failed to notice the obstacle posed by her shoes.
“Fuck,” she rasped, jerking around in her attempt to get the shoes off. It didn’t help that Ethan’s body was effectively pinning her down. She grunted some with her effort, interposing the grunts with more fucks.
Ethan gave up on the jeans and looked into her face. “What’s going on?” he asked slowly. “You starting without me?”
She gave a howl of mingled amusement and frustration. “Damn shoes won’t come off. And the jeans won’t come off unless the shoes do first.”
Ethan looked both enlightened and relieved. He reached to take care of the offending shoes and then remove the jeans at last. “I was getting scared for a minute. I’d hate to think I was only an optional part of this endeavor.”
Her lower limbs finally free, Ashley grabbed at Ethan’s shoulders to pull him back on top of her. “Can’t do it without you. If only you would get going.”
Ethan rested his weight on his forearms and was about to get going as instructed, when Ashley suddenly remembered something. “Shit!” she exclaimed and, in her panic, tried to sit up, which didn’t work very well since Ethan was right above her.
Their foreheads knocked painfully against each other.
Ethan grabbed his injured head. “What the hell is wrong with you now?” he demanded angrily. “You’re going to kill me before I ever actually get inside you.”
Rubbing her own forehead, Ashley whimpered, “Condoms. You only had one, and we used it yesterday.” She felt like crying, but was by now so aroused that she decided her only option was to masturbate against Ethan’s thigh. Her hips were still moving instinctively, seeking any sort of friction available.
Inexplicably, Ethan smiled. Then he reached into his pocket. “Way ahead of you.” He retrieved a small foil packet. “Came with the car.”
Ashley sighed in relief and halted her planned assault on Ethan’s thigh. But she said, “Please tell me it was an unopened package. I don’t want to use anything that disgusting guy touched.”
“Brand new package. I’m not sure how much action this guy really saw.” While he tore the packet open, Ashley got to work on his pants. She had them unfastened and had pulled out his erection by the time he had the condom ready.
Ashley liked how Ethan sucked in his breath when she touched him, and she wished she had the time to experiment more. But her need was getting more urgent by the second, so she snatched the condom out of his hands and rolled it on as carefully as her trembling hands could manage.
“You ready for me?” Ethan asked softly, as he positioned himself between her legs. “We haven’t done much in the way of foreplay. Just sort of fumbled around.”
Groaning at even more delay, she replied impatiently, “Feel for yourself.” She lifted her hips toward him to make her point.
His hand reached between her legs, and then his fingers found her entrance. There could be no doubt about whether or not she was ready. “Honey,” he said huskily, one finger moving inside her deliciously. “How long have you been waiting for this?”
“Since we left the motel,” she whimpered, thrusting her hips against his hand. “I told you I was ready.”
He gave her a brief, tender kiss. “You should have told me before. You didn’t think I would be reluctant to do something about it, did you?”
“It seemed so desperate,” she panted, starting to work up some good friction from the thrusting of her hips and his fingers. “Had only just started driving.”
Ethan pulled his hand away, causing her to let out an anguished wail. “I know all about being desperate. Next time, tell me sooner.”
“I will,” she promised, her hands grabbing his butt to try to force him inside of her. “Now, would you just shut up and fuck me.”
“Of course,” he replied, shifted a little, and poised himself at her entrance. “I hope this time won’t hurt as much.”
No one who didn’t know him like she did would have ever guessed that Ethan was such a sweet man at heart. Because he was genuinely concerned about her, Ashley didn’t snap his head off for delaying even longer. Instead, she smiled up at him. “Even if it hurts, it will be better than the torture of waiting anymore.”
He took her hint immediately and sheathed himself inside her in a series of angled thrusts.
She inhaled sharply at the overwhelming pressure and fullness. There wasn’t the same sharp pain she had felt the first time, but this was definitely not very comfortable.
“Okay?” Ethan managed to mumble, his face contorted as he struggled for control.
“Yeah,” she gasped. “Just give me a minute.” She adjusted her legs, trying to relax around him.
“I might need more than that.” His eyes were closed and his face turned to the side.
They stayed perfectly still for a while, and Ashley gradually was able to loosen her muscles until her only real discomfort was the need for more friction inside of her.
“Ethan?” she asked finally. “You okay too?”
He smiled and opened his eyes at last. “Just trying not to embarrass myself.”
“Do you always have this problem when you first get inside of a woman?”
Ethan scowled. “No, I don’t. I’ll have you know, my reputation for control and stamina is widely known and has been greatly appreciated.”
Ashley raised her eyebrows in a good imitation of Ethan’s own skeptical expression.
He glared at her as he continued, “It’s different with you. I’ve been wanting you for so long that I can’t quite pull it together immediately.” When he noticed her smug expression, he grumbled, “It’s your fault, really. It would be a lot easier if you weren’t so tight and . . .”
“And what?” Ashley prompted curiously, when his voice faded away.
“And delicious.” He spoke the words as if he were complaining.
Ashley giggled. “Sorry about that. I’ll try not to be so tight and delicious next time.”
Ethan scowled some more, and Ashley decided that her mission had been successful—Ethan was definitely distracted and in no danger of losing it any time soon.
Her own situation, however, was getting more and more urgent. She raised her hips a little and wiggled around. “Can you start now, please?”
Ethan’s frown faded away, and he started to thrust into her steadily. “That wasn’t as big a fight as we had last time.”
“We’re getting better,” Ashley agreed, slipping her arms around his back. “Much better,” she repeated, not talking about their fight now. The stimulation inside her was already starting to mount. “Much better than last time.”
“Good?” he asked thickly.
