by Molly McLain
Warmth spread through her chest and, for a moment, she almost chased it off. But why? She wasn’t a kid who couldn’t control her emotions. He made her feel so damn good and there was no reason she shouldn’t enjoy every second of it. When it was over, she’d walk away like an adult who could handle her shit. Even if she couldn’t.
“The grown-up Ryan Croft is pretty spectacular, too.” Smoothing one hand down the center of his solid chest, she let her fingers glide along the bumps and ridges of his abs. “You’ve filled out quite nicely. In more places than one.”
A dark curtain of lust slid over his gaze and he jackknifed up, yanking her shirt over her head in one swift movement. “So have you,” he murmured, his hot and hungry hands on her breasts. “Remember how afraid you were to show me these?”
The heat in her chest spread to her cheeks “I was fifteen.”
“So was I. And I never told you, but I was just as scared.”
Her eyes widened. “What of?” She was pretty sure he’d already rounded that base with Ally Barrett the summer before.
He smiled. “What if I did something wrong? Or what if I touched you and you didn’t like it?”
She glanced down to where his big hands cupped her over the lace of her bra, kneading gently, drawing her nipples into tight, needy peaks. “I’ve always liked your hands on me.”
“I know that now.”
Another laugh rolled up from her belly. “You’re awfully confident, aren’t you?”
“You taught me everything I know, babe.”
“Confident and full of shit.”
He chuckled as she crawled off of his lap and got to her feet. “Where you going?”
Eyes locked on his, she reached around and unhooked her bra, replacing the fabric with her own hands and mimicking his touch.
“Oh, sweet Jesus.” He hurried upright and scrambled off the bed after her. “You don’t have to do that all alone, babe. I’m right here.”
Another laugh. This one husky with desire. “You’ve got a big shower in that bathroom.”
“Yeah?” He dipped down and covered one nipple with his hot mouth, sucking so wickedly that her knees shook. “Something you want to do in there?”
Um…what were they talking about again? “Uh…”
Ryan’s throaty laugh vibrated against her skin and she collapsed into his arms, helpless to do anything but feel all the wonderful, crazy sensations he stirred up inside of her.
How on Earth did she think she’d be able to find someone else who gave her even half of what he did?
“You know we’re playing with fire here, don’t you, princess?”
Oh, yeah. A big, blazing hot fire that would takes months, maybe even years, to put out. If ever.
She tugged at his head, pulling him up so she could press her lips to his. “If I’m going to get burned, at least it’s with you.”
***
He was right—this was going to hurt like hell when it was over. But if this was truly the last time they’d be together, she couldn’t walk away without making one last impression.
She led him into the bathroom, cranked on the shower, and made quick work of stripping them both bare.
“What’s the rush, princess? You got a hot date after this or—”
She tiptoed up and sealed her mouth to his. No soft niceties to warm them up, just all-in heat, complete with her tongue seeking out his, over and over again. Somehow they ended up beneath the hot stream of the shower, the water beating down on them like a cleansing rain, washing away everything that didn’t matter. The past. The hurt feelings. The regret.
All that mattered was them in that moment.
While kissing Ryan was always nice, it wasn’t what she had in mind. Not this time around.
“Now where you are going?” Ryan asked as she pulled back and gave him a heavy-lidded smile. Lowering to her knees before him, no explanation was needed.
He groaned as she leaned in and traced the tip of her tongue along the underside of his erection, from root to head. It was a taunting move, made purposely to remind him of the shy, inexperienced girl she’d been in high school. A girl she’d left behind a long time ago.
Opening wide, she took him all the way to the back of her mouth, loving how he twitched and shivered and drove his hands into her hair. His eyes drooped to half-mast and his nostril flared as she blinked up at him, intent on nothing but driving him absolutely wild.
Up and down, she kept at him, sliding her tongue along his length with just the right amount of suction to make his knees shake against her chest. He groaned again and grew harder in her mouth. Desperate to please him, she curled her hand around his shaft and pumped in tandem with each bob of her head. Yet another trick they’d learned together once upon a time.
“Baby, I’m gonna come.” He brushed a gentle thumb along her cheekbone, but she refused to let up. She wanted everything he had to give.
And he gave her just that.
Hands winding in her hair, he thrust into her eager mouth. “Ah, honey, you look so hot like that,” he croaked, his hips pulsing fast. “You sure?”
Not a doubt in her mind. She swallowed him down as far as she could and he exploded, grunting and cursing as he came. He repeated her name over and over again until the spasms subsided and he stumbled back against the side of the shower stall.
“Holy shit.” He hauled her to her feet, searching her face in disbelief. “You just…”
“Uh huh.” She licked her lips and snuggled against his chest. “I did. You okay with that?”
“Hell, yes, but…” His hesitation lasted just long enough for her recognize the jealousy in his eyes. “Since when?”
Oh, no. They weren’t going there on their last night together. “All that matters is us right now.”
He didn’t move.
“Ryan, come on.” She gave him a playful shove, but he caught her wrist. His touch was gentle enough, but the questions in his stormy gaze weren’t as understanding.
“I hate it,” he said tightly. “I friggin’ hate that I’m not the only guy to touch you. That I likely won’t be the last.”
What could she say to that? It was a truth they’d both have to get used to. But for now…
She lifted up and slipped her arms around his neck, brushing her nose against his. “What if I told you you’re the only man I’ve ever thought of when I’m alone?”
His throat worked as he swallowed. “It would help. A little.”
“Good. Because it’s true. You turn me on like no other, Ryan Croft.” To that, she leaned in and licked the line of his jaw all the way up to his earlobe. The second most sensitive spot on his body.
His hands went to her hips, his fingers digging in deep as she played. “You remembered that, too.”
“You’re not the kind of man a woman could ever forget.”
Chapter Fourteen
“You’re supposed to come back from vacation relaxed. At the very least, with a smile on your face. You, on the other hand, look like a bear that woke up in the middle of his hibernation.” Tony Dunn, Ryan’s co-foreman at Hudson Contracting, lifted an eyebrow and stared Ryan down.
Ryan stared back before he begrudgingly turned back to the drywall project he’d been working on all morning.
“Well then,” his buddy chuckled. “I guess someone didn’t get laid while he was gone.”
Clank! The mud trowel hit the floor, splattering goopy adhesive everywhere, as Ryan launched across the room and shoved his friend against the wall.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” he warned, nostrils flaring.
Tony held up his hands, eyes wide. “Whoa, man. Relax.”
How the hell was he supposed to do that? He’d left Rose in California three days ago. Hadn’t talked to her once since.
“The tables have turned, huh? Not that long ago, I was the one with my panties in a bundle over a woman.” Tony smirked.
Continuing to glower, Ryan let go of the other man’s shirt. It would feel amazi
ng to put his fist into his buddy’s face right now for no other reason than release, but it would only be a temporary fix. It wouldn’t bring Rose back into his life.
“You were only gone a week. She must’ve made quite the impression.”
To say the least, but missing her wasn’t the only thing eating at him. “How’d it go at the Henry mansion earlier?”
Tony scoffed. “Friggin’ old man. Can’t make up his damn mind about anything. Wants us to go back in and completely redo the kitchen.”
“What? That was a hundred-thousand-dollar set-up.”
“Yep. But when you’re a senator and you have money to throw around, that doesn’t matter.”
What an idiot. If Ryan had a hundred-grand to burn, he sure as hell wouldn’t waste it on something so frivolous. He’d do something productive, like strike out on his own. Someplace other than River Bend.
“What’s that look for?” Tony stuck his hand on his hips, eyes narrowed.
Ryan lifted a shoulder. “Nothing. Just hoping five o’clock gets here sooner than later.”
His friend lifted his chin in a quick nod. “Does the boss know how miserable you are here?”
“What?” Ryan jerked back to his co-worker.
“Cut the crap, Croft. You’ve been sulking around here like a kid no one wants to play with for months. Is it the work or something else?”
Jesus, was he that transparent? “It’s not work. Not really.” He set the trowel in the tray, lifted his ball cap, and scratched a hand through his hair. “I’ve got a lot on my mind, that’s all.”
“And by a lot you mean this chick in Tahoe? I’m assuming that’s why you went out there.”
He gave a bittersweet laugh. “Actually, no. But you wouldn’t believe the crazy story, even if I told you.”
Tony lifted an eyebrow. “Try me.”
Ryan cast a tempted glance at his friend. “How much time do you have, man?”
Tony dropped down onto the mud bucket. “All the time you need.”
***
“Where’s your handsome friend, Rosebud?” Mrs. Swan frowned from her bed, where she’d been laid up with a bruised hip. Apparently she’d tried to chase John Roberts down and had had an unfortunate encounter with the end of Mrs. Harlow’s cane.
“You mean Ryan?” Rose took a seat next to the bed, forcing a smile. “He’s gone back home to Nebraska.”
“Well, that’s lousy.” The older woman shook her head. “He was supposed to look into making me a bigger bathroom.”
Rose laughed. “Seems to me the one you have is just fine.”
“Sure it’s fine. But it’d be better if it had one of those jetted tubs. I’m old, you know. Muscles ache that I didn’t even know I had.”
Ah. “I bet getting in and out of a tub like that would be a pain, though.”
“Not if I bring John along.” Mrs. Swan waggled her eyebrows. “I’d have someone to lend a hand then, wouldn’t I?”
Dear Lord. “I think co-bathing is against the rules here.”
“He had a bath with Jessie Harlow just last week.”
Well, that explained a lot, didn’t it? Rose cleared her throat, trying not to smile. “Would you like me to bring a game in here, Mrs. Swan? Or maybe we can watch some TV today instead?”
The silver-haired lady scoffed. “I look forward to our Sunday games all week long. Get your sweet patootie down to the rec room and bring Johnny boy back with you.”
Oh boy. “You promise you’ll behave? I don’t want to be responsible for you bruising your other hip. Or worse.”
“You just worry about your love life, girly, and I’ll worry about mine. How’s that sound?”
Well, okay then. No holding back that smile. “In that case, I’ll be back.”
Five minutes later, she knocked on John’s door with a Monopoly game in hand. “Mr. Roberts, it’s Rosemary.”
“Come in, come in.” She found the man sitting at his table, a stack of photo albums in front of him. “I wasn’t sure you were coming today,” he greeted her without looking up, his focus hooked intently on an image in one of the binders.
“I stopped by Mrs. Swan first. She’s still confined to her bed, so…”
The old man chortled. “She’s a fiery one, that one.”
“I heard the same about Mrs. Harlow.”
“Oh, Jessie? She and I go way back. Before the missus and I met.”
Sounded like there was a story buried somewhere in that confession.
“Have a seat, doll face. Take a look at these with me.”
“Okay, but Mrs. Swan is waiting for us. She’s requested your presence, by the way.”
John glanced up with a smarmy grin as she pulled out the chair beside him. “It never hurts to make them wait a little. Surely you’ve done your fair share of that.”
Rose laughed softly and pulled the album closer. “Maybe a time or two.”
“That’s what I thought.” John pointed to a Polaroid print dated May 3, 1967. There wasn’t much to be seen other than two men standing in front of a big pile of dirt. “That mountain of soil came from what’s now the basement of the Hope Falls Firehouse.”
“Really? Is one of these handsome young men you?”
“Red cap.” He tapped the photo with a finger. “So your friend didn’t stick around, huh?”
The walls she’d tried to keep in place since Ryan left latched tightly into place. “Nope. He had work to do at home.”
“Ah.” John nodded. “That’s too bad. I kinda liked the kid. Had a good head on his shoulders. Solid business instincts, too.”
Funny. Kyle had said something similar. “Which was why he had to get back to River Bend. He’s a foreman for a contracting company there.”
“Foreman? That’s all?” John frowned. “A man with a quick wit like that should be running his own business.”
She got the impression Ryan wanted the same thing, though he’d never come out and said it. “Maybe someday.”
“Hmm.” John glanced out the window, looking thoughtfully at the snowflakes dancing in the air. “I think I’ll pass on Monopoly today, if you don’t mind.”
“Are you sure? Mrs. Swan is looking forward to seeing you.”
“That’s okay. It’s probably for the best I stop stringing her along anyway.” He sighed and flashed Rose a small grin. “My heart’s belonged to Jessie since we were seventeen.”
“Really? What about Mrs. Roberts?”
John glanced tenderly to the picture of the two of them sitting beside his bed. “A lovely woman. An even better mother to our children. But Jessie was my first love. It took me seventy years to find her again and I’m sure as hell not letting go this time.”
Rose’s breath lodged tight in her chest. Would she and Ryan find each other again someday? Or had this past week been their one and only second chance?
“Ryan was my first love,” she admitted quietly and John covered her hand with his.
“He told me, doll face. That’s why I’m surprised you’re here today.”
A frown pinched her face. “Why do you say that?”
“I thought for sure you’d go after him.”
Wait…what? She blinked at John for a long moment. Should she have gone after Ryan? She’d tried so hard to be strong and make the most of the time they’d had. She hadn’t let herself entertain the what ifs.
What if she followed him back to River Bend?
What if she asked him for more than a long-distance fling?
What if she told him she still loved him as much as she ever had?
What if she… What if she’d asked him to stay?
“Oh, God.” She held her hand to her mouth as the ball of emotion in her throat broke free.
John’s pale eyes shined as his cool fingers closed around hers. “Don’t wait seventy years, Rosemary. You might find happiness and be content with the life you find, but why? Why settle for less than the true love you’ve already found?”
“Because my life is here
and his is there,” she whispered.
“Then clearly one of you is lost.”
Chapter Fifteen
“You sure you want to do this?”
Rose nodded, her hands curled around a Brewed Beginnings coffee mug. “I have to.”
Scratching at his forehead with a thumb, Kyle sighed. “I don’t see it that way, but this isn’t my relationship, now is it?”
Janine rolled her eyes. “Quit being a Negative Nelly, boss man. Of course, she has to. She’s in love.”
“With a man she spent a week with.” Kyle glared at his assistant. “I shouldn’t have to point out to either of you that that kind of stuff only happens in the movies.”
Maybe, maybe not. But finding out and being disappointed couldn’t possibly hurt any worse than never taking the chance at all.
“I’m kinda banking on the three years Ryan and I had before that one week,” she admitted quietly. “Sure, I could get to River Bend only to have him turn me away, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take.” After her conversation with John, she had to.
“I don’t know.” Kyle shook his head. “I think you should give it some time. Make sure this is what you really want.”
There was no doubt in her mind that she wanted to be with Ryan, but she understood her boss’s concern. “I’m not quitting, Kyle.” Not yet, anyway. “I’m just taking a little vacation time to explore my options.”
“Right in the middle of our Angel Alliance announcement.”
Yeah. There was that. “I’m still committed to you. I promise. And right now, we’re just letting the word spread anyway. Garnering attention and seeing where that takes us.” She forced a smile, hoping to convince him. “Janine can handle any incidental things that come up and, if not, I’m just a phone call away.”
“But that won’t happen, because I’ve got this.” Janine nudged Kyle in the arm. “Not to mention, Rose is owed the time off.”
Their boss grumbled under his breath before he sipped his coffee. “So when does your flight leave?”
“Tomorrow morning. Janine’s going to drive me to the airport.”
“But I’ll be into the office on time, so don’t worry about that,” Janine rushed to assure him.
