Hope Falls: If I Fall (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by SJ McCoy

  “Don’t tempt me, okay?”

  He laughed. “I didn’t say a word!”

  “You didn’t need to; you were thinking too loudly.” She smirked and nodded toward his lap. “And besides, your friend there is giving you away.”

  Sully looked down and shook his head ruefully; there was no concealing his hard-on. He shrugged. “No excuses, I’m afraid. It’s what you do to me.”

  Her cheeks were slightly flushed. “You have the same effect on me, but I don’t think we need to rush this.”

  Part of him wanted to rush it. Who knew how long they would have together? Some crazy part of his mind was yelling that they should have the rest of their lives together and they didn’t need to waste time; they should get started right now. He had to question whether that wasn’t his little head talking. He got up. He had to go while he still had the willpower to do so.

  “What time in the morning?”

  “Will you be up at six?”

  He nodded and looked back down at the bulge in his pants. “I think I’m going to be up all night.”

  She chuckled. “Well, then I guess I’ll see you at six.”

  He almost made it. He was turning the handle on the door to let himself out when she came to stand beside him. The feel of her small, cool hand on his shoulder made his cock jump in his pants and throb even harder. Damn. If she wanted him to go, she had to let him go quickly.

  He turned and saw raw desire on her face. Dammit! How was he supposed to walk away from that?

  Her hands came up to his shoulders and in what was already a familiar move, his arms reached around her waist of their own accord. He crushed her to his chest, and she thrust her hips against his. A low growl escaped from his lips as his aching cock pressed between her legs. He backed her against the wall and ground his hips into her, encouraged by the needy little moans coming from her lips and the way her hands were grasping his ass, urging him on.

  In an instant, bright light flooded the camper as a car turned out onto Main Street, its headlights momentarily illuminating them. It was enough to bring Sully to his senses. He let go of her and stepped back, running his hand through his hair as he blew out a big sigh. “I’m sorry.”

  She shook her head and reached out for him. “I’m not.” She still sounded breathless.

  It was going to half kill him, but Sully knew what he needed to do. He had to get out of here; he had to leave her wanting. That would make sure that any hesitation she was feeling would be gone by tomorrow. Far better to make her wait and spend the night regretting it than to rush in and leave her regretting it. He lowered a quick peck on her lips. It was all he could risk. “See you in the morning,” he breathed and then got the hell out of there. He didn’t dare look back before he let himself into the café and sprinted up the stairs to his room.

  Chapter Eight

  Jess sipped her coffee, willing it to give her strength. For the second night in a row she’d barely slept, and whenever she had drifted off, it had hardly been restful. She dreamed her way through some pretty erotic moments with Sully! Her whole body still felt as though it were on fire; she ached with need. He’d taken her to the very edge last night and then disappeared leaving her all hot and horny. She couldn’t wait to see him this morning. She’d told him she’d pick him up at six, and her intention had been to share one of her favorite morning rituals with him. She loved to wake up early and just drive until she found a beautiful stop that was worthy of watching the sunrise. When she found the place, she would just pull over and sit in the little dinette of the camper, drinking coffee and eating chocolate croissants as she watched a new day begin. Her thinking in wanting to share this with him had been a little bittersweet. Her heart longed to believe that they might be witnessing the beginning of a new chapter of their lives. A chapter they would share. However, her mind told her it was more likely that she’d be helping him usher in a new chapter of his own life. She might feature in the prologue, as a catalyst maybe that helped him find a way to live as well as work, but if she was realistic, she couldn’t expect to be a part of his future. She sighed and took another sip of coffee. At least she could take pleasure in believing that she was helping him on his way.

  She looked at the clock. She needed to get moving. If she continued to sit around here mulling it all over, the day would start without them. She slid into the driver’s seat and headed down into town to pick him up.

  He was already standing outside the café when she arrived. She felt a shudder run through her at the sight of him. Right now she was much more interested in finishing what they’d started last night than worrying about whatever a new day might hold!

  He smiled when he saw her. She’d guess he hadn’t slept much either, and the desire was still smoldering in his eyes when he opened the door and climbed in.

  “Hey.” It was the only syllable she could manage to utter. Her breath seemed to be in short supply as she ran her eyes over his muscular body. The only air she did manage to catch filled her nostrils with the scent of him and did nothing to steady her racing heart. He smelled wonderful. Fresh from the shower, a hint of citrus, something spicy and enticing. Her brain must be addled through lack of sleep; all she wanted to do was close her eyes and breathe him in.

  He smiled. “Hey. So what do you want to do?”

  Was that a trick question? All she wanted to do was take him into the back, to the bed where she’d spent the last several hours thinking about him and turn all the fantasies she’d dreamt up into realities. She chuckled. “I can’t answer that in complete honesty. So, I will say that my plan for this morning was to take you for a drive to catch the sunrise somewhere beautiful.”

  He was letting his eyes wander over her. She was pretty sure if she wanted to take him in the back he wouldn’t argue. She gave herself a mental shake. She needed to snap out of it. “Are you ready?”

  He nodded and sat down in the passenger seat. Jess pointed the motorhome out of town. She had no clue where she was going, but she didn’t doubt she’d find somewhere beautiful. This whole area was breathtaking, and Tessa had given her a few ideas, too. She’d exchanged emails with her last night. She’d felt a bit bad about spending the whole day and evening with Sully when she’d come here to see her friend. Tessa had reassured her that she didn’t mind; in fact, it suited her as she was busy herself. They’d catch up when they were both free, and Tessa was one of those friends who just understood.

  She drove out in the direction Tessa had told her about where the road wound its way on up through the pines. She’d said there were lookout points as you got higher that gave spectacular views. Jess hoped she could find one before the sun rose. She looked over at Sully again—and hopefully while she could keep her mind on the scenery outside the van and not inside it!

  ~ ~ ~

  Sully sat in silence as the motorhome climbed higher. He was grateful just to be with her again. His plan to leave her wanting last night seemed to have worked. He was fairly certain that he could ask her at any point to just pull over and within seconds, they’d be right back to where they’d been. It wasn’t just Jess who’d been left in an aching state of need. He felt the same way. All he could do was feel. He wasn’t capable of rational thought. He was only aware of his desire. When he looked over to watch her, all his senses were heightened. The way her blonde hair fell in messy waves around her shoulders, the slightest scent of her shampoo—strawberries, that was what it smelled of. And all it made him think of was strawberries and cream. Jess and whipped cream, how would that taste. How would she taste if he could trail his tongue over her skin? Like the small stretch of soft skin she exposed whenever she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He balled his fists at his side and tried to get a grip. Sleep deprived, lust induced, infatuation driven stupid thoughts. His mind was hazy, but his senses were hyper aware.

  He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the sign for a scenic viewpoint and Jess pulled off the road. The small parking area was empty. She cut the engine and
turned to smile at him. For the first time, she seemed nervous.

  He smiled back and got up. “Come on. Let’s get some fresh air.” He had to get her out of here; the atmosphere was too charged in the small space for him to do anything but lead her through the back to her bed. He watched her breasts heave as she took a deep breath and then another before she nodded.

  He took hold of her hand as they walked over to the edge of the parking area, the view was magnificent. They stood at the edge of a precipice from where they could see miles and miles of pine-covered ridges leading away into the distance. He breathed in deeply, loving the smell of the early morning and the pine. Jess shuddered beside him. “Are you cold?”

  She nodded but didn’t speak.

  He took his jacket off and wrapped it around her shoulders, and she smiled up at him gratefully. “Thank you.”

  He didn’t understand the wave of emotion that swept over him. He felt inordinately proud of himself. He wanted to take care of her. She was cold, and he was keeping her warm. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they both stared out at the vista before them. He wanted to keep her safe, protect her, make her happy. He squeezed his arm around her, drawing her closer to his side. He wanted to give her pleasure. His pants were getting tighter again. He wanted so badly to give her pleasure, to take his pleasure in her. It seemed she sensed his thoughts. She turned toward him and reached her arms up around his neck, pressing the full length of her soft, sweet body against him.

  “I wanted to share the morning with you, but I can’t focus on it.”

  His hands moved down to close over her ass. “It’s beautiful up here, but I can’t focus on it either. All I want is you.”

  She sucked in a sharp breath at his words. “I want you, Sully.”

  He nodded and took her hand, leading her back to the motorhome.

  Once they were inside, she surprised him by lifting up the hem of her dress and taking the whole thing off over her head. The ache in his pants intensified at the sight of her standing before him in just her bra and panties. He had to tear his eyes away from her breasts as they rose and fell with her breathing. She was perfect. He closed his hands around her waist, drawing her with him as he backed up toward the bed. Before he reached it, he pulled his shirt up and off. Her hands made short work of his belt and zipper. He kicked out of his jeans before he sat down on the bed. Closing his hands around her ass, he pulled her toward him, so she stood straddling his legs; her breasts were at eye level, and he couldn’t resist mouthing her taut nipples through the silky fabric while he unfastened her bra. Once it was gone, he tormented each breast in turn with his lips and tongue, loving the way she moaned and tangled her fingers in his hair. He spread his knees wider, forcing her legs apart until she sat in his lap. He let out a moan of his own when his cock pressed into her heat. Thin layers of underwear weren’t going to keep him out for long. He grasped her hips and rocked her against him, loving the way she grasped his shoulders tight and moved with him. He thought he might lose it when she arched her back, increasing the pressure on his already aching cock and thrusting her breasts into his face. He nibbled and sucked, making her writhe against him till he couldn’t take anymore. He hooked his fingers inside her panties. He needed them gone.

  She stood and removed them, he couldn’t take his eyes off her, even as he pushed his boxers down and off. He quickly rolled on a condom he’d had ready in his jeans pocket, then he reached for her hand and pulled her down beside him on the bed. She lay on her side and when she met his gaze, the look in her big blue eyes slew him. That look was full of raw desire, but he saw something else in there too. He saw trust and something that looked a whole lot more like love than anything else he’d ever seen. He curled his arm around her and drew her toward him. His need was greater now. Yes, he needed to be inside her, but now he knew he didn’t only need to be inside her body, he needed to be in her heart and her life as well.

  He propped himself up on one elbow and smiled down at her. “Are you sure?”

  She nodded vigorously and closed her arms around his back, moving him into position above her. “Please.”

  Damn! How was a guy supposed to resist that? How was a guy supposed to show any restraint? He was trying, but she was spreading her legs, opening up her wet heat to him. His throbbing cock was straining desperately against her slick entrance. All thoughts of restraint abandoned him as he felt her fingers close around his ass and squeeze. He had no choice. He thrust deep and hard, and in that moment, he knew he’d found his home.

  ~ ~ ~

  Jess screamed as his hot hard cock filled her. With that first thrust of his hips, he plunged deep inside her and all the muscles in her abdomen and her heart contracted as if to try to hold him there forever. He was moving above her, slowly, thrusting his way deep inside with every stroke then slowly retreating until she feared he would withdraw before plunging back inside her again. He was plundering her body, taking possession of every inch of her, and she was gladly surrendering, giving herself up to him. She looked up into his eyes and the sensations intensified. She felt vulnerable and yet safe; he was seeing into her soul while he owned her body. There was nowhere to hide, but that was okay because she didn’t want to hide. She was laying herself open, laying herself bare for him in every sense, and she knew he understood that.

  As their bodies moved together, the pressure began to build low in her belly. He sensed the change in her and began to pick up his pace, his eyes never leaving hers. She started to moan as she reached the point of no return. She was losing control of her body; she was all his. His hips were thrusting wildly now pushing her on toward her climax. She panicked when she saw the determination in his eyes. He was on a mission. He was going to make her come—but she wanted him to come with her.

  She grasped his ass tightly, “Sully!” she gasped.

  His eyes questioned her, but he didn’t let up.

  “Please! Come with me!” she cried with the last coherent thoughts she could muster.

  The smile on his face pushed her toward the edge. She clamped her arms and legs tight around him as her inner muscles began to clench. She felt him stiffen and moaned, her pleasure intensified by the knowledge he, too, was finding his release. On his next thrust, he gasped her name on a ragged breath and exploded deep inside her, sending wave after wave of pleasure crashing through her. All she could do was cling to him as she soared away, their bodies straining together to give and take everything they had.

  When they finally lay still, Sully nuzzled his lips into the place where her neck met her shoulder. Her hands came up and cupped his head, her fingers stroking his hair. She didn’t want to speak, didn’t want to break the moment. She felt closer to him than she’d ever felt to another human being, and words could only spoil that.

  Chapter Nine

  By late afternoon, Sully was regretting that he’d agreed to meet Eric later. He was loving every moment he spent with Jess. He kept having crazy ideas about wanting to spend the rest of his life with her. He didn’t like the thought of spending even the evening away from her. After they’d made love this morning, they’d lain in bed together talking. He wanted to do that every day. She gave him a sense of peace, a sense of belonging that he’d never known before. A feeling that he didn’t want to lose now that he’d found it. Eventually, they’d gotten up and gotten around to the coffee and croissants, and the sun was high in the sky by the time they did. They’d driven farther and farther into the mountains and Sully was starting to wish that they could just find a little cabin up here, or even park up the motorhome and just stay. For the first time in his life, he wanted to just enjoy himself.

  She smiled at him as they made their way back to the van. “We’d better get you back to town.”

  He nodded sadly. “I’d rather stay here with you.”

  “Me, too, but every vacation has to come to an end.”

  He wondered what she meant; the vacation wasn’t over, just this day. He was going to see his friend,
but they still had tomorrow, and the next day, and as many more as he could manage.

  She didn’t meet his eye as she said, “I think I’m going to head on out after I drop you off.”

  “What?” He couldn’t believe it! She couldn’t mean it. He caught hold of her hand and made her stop walking. “What are you saying, Jess?

  Tears welled up in her eyes as she met his gaze. “I’m saying I can’t do this, Sully.”

  “But why? Why not?”

  “Because it hurts too much now. After just a couple of days, I’m already dreading saying goodbye to you. It’s only going to get worse, only going to hurt more. I’d rather go now. I don’t want to wait around until you have to go back.”

  “But Jess! I don’t want to go back. I thought we were going to give this a go, see where it might lead us.” His heart was pounding; no way was he prepared to let this woman walk away from him.

  “I know where it will go, Sully. We’ll have a great time together. I’ll fall for you so hard that I’ll never be able to pick myself up, and we both know that in the end you won’t be able to walk away from your sense of duty. You can’t stop being who you are.”

  He stared at her. Was she right? She was right that they’d have a great time. She didn’t even know that he’d already fallen for her. But was she right that he couldn’t stop being who he was? That he wouldn’t be able to give up his career?

  She took his silence as agreement. “I understand, I do.” She reached up to touch his cheek. “I just hope that you’ll understand why I need to walk away now.”

  He sucked in a deep breath. He did understand why she thought she needed to, but he wanted to prove her wrong. “Can’t we see where it goes, Jess? Please?”

  “Don’t, Sully. You know I want to, but I’m trying to be sensible here. I can’t ask you to give up everything you’ve worked for all your life.”