by Molly McLain
He chuckled and nodded to her purse. “Ease her mind. Let her know you’re in good hands.”
“Oh, she’d love that.” She pulled her phone out, read, and slowly bit her lip. Coyly, she looked up at him, flashing a soft smile. “You’d really take me all the way back to Hope Falls?”
“If that’s what you want.” Though he’d hoped to get her into the hot tub back at the chalet, as well.
“Janine’s out for the night, so…” Still looking all sweet and sassy, she tangled her fingers through his and squeezed.
He squeezed back and shifted closer. Was she suggesting what he hoped she was? “So?”
“So we’d have more privacy at my place. You know, if you wanted to…”
Oh, he wanted to. He wanted to a whole hell of a lot.
He lifted their enjoined hands to his lips and brushed a kiss across hers. “Let’s go.”
Chapter Eight
Rose’s fingers shook so badly, it took three tries to get the key into her door. Having a big, sexy man pressed against her back certainly didn’t make the struggle any easier.
“You second-guessing my company tonight?” Ryan brushed her hair off of her neck, replacing it with his hot breath and soft, taunting lips. “I don’t have to come in, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to.”
Was he serious? She finally had him back in her life and she’d take every opportunity to enjoy as much of him as she could. Sure, it was only a temporary fix to nine, torturous years of longing, but she wasn’t stupid. Some of him was better than nothing at all.
“I want you,” she breathed, closing her eyes and savoring the familiar, delicious feeling of being in his arms again. “To come in, I mean.”
His laugh vibrated off of her skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, okay? You call all the shots.”
Mmm, a nice gesture, but… “You sure about that?” she teased, walking them into the condo, his arms still wrapped around her waist. He kicked the door shut behind them. “I might not be the same shy girl I used to be.”
“I’m game for whatever you’ve got, babe.”
“Well, in that case…” She leaned up and pulled him down for a kiss. Instinctively, she prepared for the sweet, progressive kind of kiss they’d shared in the past. She should have known better, though. There wasn’t anything tentative about this older, more virile version of the man she used to love. Ryan’s mouth slid over hers in a deep, all-consuming kiss that took the very breath from her lungs. His gentle, coaxing lips left no part of hers untouched and, before she knew it, he had her turned around and pressed up against the foyer wall.
She pushed off his ball cap and slid her hands into his thick hair, tugging him down, as close as he could get. She needed to taste more of him. Needed more of that drugging caress of his tongue along hers, because there was something about Ryan that had always soothed the restless ache inside of her.
He groaned, shoved a knee between her legs, and pinned his chest against hers. God, he was so hard. So solid and steady and comforting. Any apprehension she might’ve felt about letting this happen again between them melted away like ice in the California sunshine, because Ryan was right for her. Always had been.
“My heart is beating so fast,” she panted when he broke away and leaned his forehead against hers, breathing hard himself. “I never thought this would happen again. You and me…”
He gave a sexy smile and pressed her hand to his own pounding heart. “Definitely happening, babe. You feel that?”
She nodded. “This is so crazy.”
“Is it?” He brushed another wet kiss across her lips and her breasts grew heavy, her nipples hard. “We’ve always had incredible chemistry, Rose. You remember, don’t you?”
Good Lord, yes. “Stay with me tonight,” she whispered. “I want to remember everything.”
He hoisted her up into his arms, a wicked grin on his handsome face. “So do I.”
***
He carried her into the condo, stopping every so often to press her up against this wall or that, completely intoxicating her with his kisses.
When they stopped in the hallway and he bent to lick and nip at her neck, she went to work, trying ruthlessly to lift his sweatshirt over his head. “I need to feel you,” she begged. “Please.”
He obliged and did her one better, removing the t-shirt he had underneath, too. She groaned, because holy crap, there was a lot of skin. And muscles. So, so many muscles. Unable to resist, she leaned in and trailed her tongue along the swell of his pecs, loving the way they twitched and jumped under her touch.
“Now you,” he rasped, first trying to unbutton her long sweater before he grew impatient and yanked it over her head. It landed somewhere in the vicinity of Janine’s door, along with her shirt and cami. “Mmm, now that’s pretty.” His fingers traced over the black lace of her half-cup bra, before he gave the fabric a tug and set her aching breasts free. “Fucking hell.”
His mouth was on her in an instant, his hot tongue swirling around one swollen nipple, then the other, tightening the invisible cord of desire that ran from each sensitive peak, straight to the apex of her legs. She squirmed against him, needing more skin on skin contact, but they were both still dressed from the waist down.
“You want something else, beautiful?” he chuckled, flicking one nub with the tip of his tongue while he tweaked the other between his fingers. “All you’ve gotta do is ask.”
“You’re driving me insane,” she said, breathless. “It’s not very ladylike, but I want you inside. I need to feel you like that again. Now.”
His eyes glazed over with such feral heat, she thought she might incinerate right there. Then he put her hands on his belt and the wicked grin that played on his damp lips put her over the edge.
She tore into the invitation, unfastening him with lightening speed, while he reciprocated and tugged her leggings all the way off. Snaking an arm beneath her rear end, he carried her into the bedroom, haphazardly depositing them both on the bed. He loomed above her, his bulky arms on either side of her head, with his thick cock, notched against her damp panties.
“You sure about this?” he asked, his nostrils flaring and his breath puffing against her face in quick, anxious bursts.
She nodded and slid her hand into the back of his boxer briefs, smoothing her fingers along his backside. Good Lord, those cheeks were firmer than they had been in high school. “As sure as I was the first time.”
He growled and lowered his head to her neck, painted a trail of wet kisses down to her chest and then her navel, not stopping until he reached the thin band of her panties. Even then, he continued moving south, running his tongue along her cleft, just barely teasing her clit through the soaked material.
“So sweet,” he murmured, as his fingers looped into the elastic and tugged, leaving her bare before him. “Jesus Christ, you’re prettier than I remember.”
Then his mouth was on her completely. No barriers. Just skin on skin, desire on desire.
She curled her fingers into his hair, her hips lifting off the bed with every lick and caress of his expert mouth. No other man had ever been able to make her feel this way and, until that very moment, she hadn’t understood why. Now, with Ryan’s head buried so intently between her legs, she got it, crystal clear.
Sex with Ryan had never been just sex. It wasn’t just a physical high they chased—it was a desire to connect on a level that far surpassed the basic human need for release. She and Ryan knew things about each other that no one else did. They’d shared more in their three-year relationship than many couples ever did in a lifetime. Partly because they’d shared so many firsts together, but mostly because of trust.
He’d been her best friend and she’d been his, and it didn’t matter that nine years had passed. Ryan would always have a part of her that no one ever could. It was his and only his. Forever.
He slid a finger inside of her and she arched off the bed, stars light
ing up behind her eyes.
“Ryan!” she cried, as her sex wound tight, then shattered, convulsing around his fingers and dampening his tongue. He rode out the wave, easing her down, and then he was above her again, his eyes wild and a galaxy-sized grin breaking through his stubble.
“Still the best thing in the world, making you come apart like that.”
She closed her eyes, smiled, and took a second to catch her breath. “I disagree. The best part is yet to come.”
He chuckled, hurried to the hallway and his discarded clothes, and returned with a condom in hand. Tearing the package open with his teeth, he rolled it on and was back between her legs in record time.
“This part, you mean?” He smiled deviously and rubbed the tip of his cock through her slippery folds. He kept his gaze locked on hers and she tried to stay with him, but the sensations were too much. Her eyes fluttered shut and she moaned, low and hungry.
“Not nice to tease, big guy.”
He dipped down and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. “I don’t know, princess, you seem to like my teasing just fine.”
Reaching between them, she wrapped her hand around his shaft, stroking long and slow. His hips bucked against hers and he grunted, just as desperate as her cry only seconds earlier.
“Who’s teasing now, huh?” She giggled and gave him another torturous squeeze.
He made a throaty sound just shy of a growl and jerked her knees into the air, his thighs pressing against the back of hers. Her laugh turned to a gasp and then another pleading moan as he positioned himself at her entrance.
“It’s been too damn long, baby. You ready for this?” he rasped, his hand shaking as it wrapped around the base of his cock.
She nodded and gave herself over to him as he pushed inside, filling her inch by inch, until she couldn’t take anymore. He was so much bigger than she remembered, claiming every bit of her and awakening nerves she’d all but forgotten.
“Ryannn,” she cried, her fingers digging into his shoulders as he slowly began to move his hips, loving her like only he could. Tears built in her eyes and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to hold them back.
Being with Ryan again was…too much. And yet it wasn’t nearly enough either.
“I’ve missed you.” She laid her palm against the side of his face and whispered around the emotion clogging her throat. “I’ve missed you so damn much.”
His eyelashes lowered and he turned into her touch, kissing her hand. “Missed you too, baby. Don’t want this to end.”
But it had to. They lived separate lives now. All they could ever have were the memories…and this one perfect night.
The tension tightened in his face and his nostrils flared with every thrust. She felt him lengthen inside of her and the fire built all over again. He reached down and thumbed her clit as his strokes became more hurried, more frantic.
“Come on, Rosie. Fly with me one last time.”
And she did. Hard and fast, riding the high of loving Ryan Croft with everything she had…knowing it would never be enough.
Chapter Nine
Silvery blue moonlight streamed in through Rose’s bedroom window, setting her sleeping form in an angelic glow. He should’ve gotten up hours ago and made this easier on the both of them by going before things got too complicated.
But he couldn’t.
The past two days had been the best he’d had in years and it wasn’t because he’d finally gone on vacation. Spending time with Rose again gave him something he hadn’t felt in a long time—peace and contentment. The restlessness of the past few months—hell, the past year—had disappeared.
Maybe it was selfish of him to stay and soak up as much of the feel-good as he could, but he couldn’t bring himself to walk away. Being with Rose felt too right. Too good. Too much like everything the last nine years hadn’t.
Smoothing her hair away, he pressed a gentle kiss to her bare shoulder and slid out of bed. Was he leaving leaving? Probably not. But he did need some space to think.
His boxer briefs seemed to be MIA, so he snagged his jeans off the hallway floor and pulled them on without buttoning. The curtains in the main part of the condo were open, giving view to the full moon and the not-so-distant downtown area of Hope Falls. He paused to take in the stunning view, appreciating, not for the first time, how inviting the little town was. In many ways, Hope Falls reminded him of River Bend. A place where people put down roots and took pride in living simple, albeit rich lives.
River Bend didn’t feel like that same homey place anymore. He’d lived there most of his life—save his toddler years when his parents had lived in Sacramento by Janine and her family—and like so many of his friends, he thought he’d be there forever. He had good friends and family and a job most guys would give their right leg for.
But at some point, the discontentment had seeped in. He couldn’t put a finger on why or even when, but if he had to guess, he’d say it was probably the result of seeing so many of his buddies settle down. First Josh, then Tony and Mark. Like wooden soldiers, they fell, one right after the other. Not that any of them would complain about it, the sappy suckers.
Whisper soft hands slipped around his waist, laying flat on his abs, while a warm, wet kiss found a home in the middle of his back. “You okay?” Rose asked quietly, her voice slightly hoarse from sleep.
“Yeah.” He cleared his throat and shot a glance back at her. Her dark hair fell in a mess of curls around her face and, to his delight—maybe his demise, too—she had on his t-shirt. “Just deciding whether or not I should go or stay. Not gonna lie—seeing you wearing my clothes kinda has me thinking the latter.”
She smiled and rested her cheek against his shoulder blade. “It smells like you. I couldn’t resist.”
Yeah, well, he knew plenty about futile resistance.
“You know I’m leaving in a few days. We can’t do this again.”
“We can’t do it after you leave, no. But there’s nothing saying we can’t while you’re here.”
As wonderful as that sounded, it was a disaster in the making. “That won’t make saying goodbye again any easier.”
Her response was another sweet kiss that made him shiver. “I know. But I’m not ready for this to end, and let’s be real—it’s going to hurt either way. Now or then.”
He nodded, knowing she was right, though it didn’t mean that the answer was to say screw the consequences and give in to a few more days together. In an ideal world, he wouldn’t have to hurt her at all.
“Come back to bed.” Her hands coasted up his chest and then down again, one slipping effortlessly into his open fly. “I don’t want to think about anything but this right now.”
When she touched him like that, neither did he.
“We’re asking for trouble, Rosie,” he warned, his traitorous cock coming to life like a puppet on a string. “The more often we do this, the harder it’ll be to walk away.”
“But if we ignore what we both so obviously want…” She toed up and teased the tip of her tongue along his neck. “We may regret it for the rest of our lives. Not a risk I’m willing to take. You?”
Jesus fuck, this woman. “When you put it like that…”
Her warm, soft fingers wrapped around his dick, reminding him how good it would feel to bury himself inside her again.
Maybe just one more time.
“I like where this is going,” she whispered, squeezing his hardening shaft. Not to the point of pain, but not gently either. Hell, just the way he liked it. “I like that I can still turn you on.”
Oh, yeah. That was never going to be a problem.
He turned to her and tried to decide what he wanted more—her right here, right now…or her on his face in the bedroom.
“Am I still in charge?” Rose angled her head toward the couch, her long hair falling off her shoulder in a silken wave he wanted to wind his hands in while he kissed her knees out from under her.
“You’re always in charge,
princess.” Or so he’d let her think.
A wicked haze fell over her dark eyes and she pushed him back until his knees hit the cushions and he lost his footing. Desperation and desire clouding her eyes, she yanked down his jeans before his ass hit the seat. They stayed balled at his ankles as she climbed onto his lap and…
“Holy shit.”
No panties on her part and going commando himself made for an all-too-easy grand entrance. She didn’t seem to mind.
“You have another condom, handsome?” Her breath hitched in his ear as she rocked her hips against his, taking him further and further inside and making it impossible to think.
“Uh, yeah.”
“Mmm,” she moaned when he bottomed out. “Then you’d better get it.”
***
How many times had she dreamed of this? Waking up to find Ryan in her bed again?
Rose smiled to herself, watching him sleep beside her, face to face, with his hand curled proprietarily around her hip.
A lock of dark hair fell haphazardly across his forehead and all the normal tension had faded from his face, making him seem so much younger than his twenty-seven years. He looked a lot like the young man she’d fallen in love with so long ago. Her heart recognized him just as easily as her body had remembered him last night.
Last night. God.
A reminiscent flutter stirred in her belly and she squeezed her thighs together, the familiar ache that lie between them promising that this was definitely no dream.
She’d given herself to him. He’d given himself to her, too. They’d shared something sweet and passionate and real. Something she hadn’t been able to find with anyone else, though she’d tried.
His mouth twitched as he dreamed, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. Was he thinking about her? Had last night hit a nerve with him, too?
Unable to resist, she reached up and touched the dark stubble on his jaw, letting the short, prickling hairs slide beneath her fingertips as she made her way to his chin and the mouth she desperately wanted to taste again. Savor. Never, ever forget.
