“Fuck, no.”
Then she was confused. “What do you want me to do?”
“Take me in your mouth, baby. I need to feel it.”
Ah, oral sex. She wasn’t exactly a rookie but it was something she had spent a great deal of time avoiding. Eventually Brian had stopped trying to make her do it, content to simply pump in and out of her to get his own. He’d never cared much about her, if at all. He’d once said that women having orgasms was a sin, and that sex wasn’t for them. It was for men. She hadn’t believed it but she’d sure realized pretty early that there weren’t going to be many orgasms with Brian. Now Ryan…that was a whole different story. He wouldn’t take and not give. Would he?
Trusting that he wouldn’t be selfish, she leaned down and ran her tongue along the same path her fingertips had just traveled. His body arched up off of the cushions and she could hear his teeth snap together. She must be on the right track if he reacted like that. The feeling of euphoria and power came over her again and she drew him slowly into her mouth as far as she could take him, swirling her tongue as she did so. His breath came out in a hiss and a spark ran down her own spine. This was fun, experimenting as to how he would react when she did this or that.
She pulled almost all the way off of his cock before plunging it back into her mouth, bumping the back of her throat. Over and over she repeated the motion, keeping her lips tight until he was panting underneath her. His fingers were tangled in her hair at the back of her head, thrusting into her mouth but abruptly he pulled back until her mouth slid off with a pop.
“If you keep doing that, this is going to be all over fast. You are far too good at that, baby. You could make a man lose his mind.”
For a moment she didn’t get what he was saying but his meaning finally sunk into her muddled brain. He wanted to make this last. Honestly, so did she.
And I did good. He loved it.
Apparently, enthusiasm could indeed make up for lack of experience and skill.
He levered up to a sitting position and kissed her swollen lips, playing a game of keep-away with his tongue before finally pulling back. Their foreheads rested against each other and their breathing was ragged. Technically, they hadn’t even had sex yet and this was about the most aroused she’d ever been. A coil had already begun tightening low in her belly and that little voice in her head was urging her on. Relax, cut loose, enjoy this moment. She intended to do just that.
He nudged her backward onto the blankets and cushions. “I think you need a little attention. I want to worship this beautiful body.”
Who am I to say no?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Sierra simply took Ryan’s breath away. Her straightforward honesty, her innate generosity, and the passion that he’d only guessed at but was clearly burning in her eyes. She’d gone up in flames at his touch and his own flesh burned, white hot with need. Even now as she lay in the glow from the fireplace she was so fucking gorgeous he had to hold himself back from falling on her like a starving dog with a bone.
The air was heady with the perfume of their arousal mixed with a touch of sweat. Their skin was damp from their exertions despite the temperature outside. The room felt hot but it had nothing to do with the blazing fire only a few feet away. It was all Sierra.
His gaze caressed her head to toe, lingering on her creamy breasts with their rose-tipped nipples. Just the right size for his hands. Moving farther down, he slowed at the soft curve of her hip before traveling the length of her legs all the way to her red painted toes. He was already imagining those long limbs wrapped around his waist as he thrust them both to heaven. His lower back ached and his balls were pulled up tight, but patience would make their final explosion far better and sweeter.
First…he had plans. All of them included hearing her call his name when she came. More than once.
Leaning over her, he dipped his head down to take a pebbled nipple into his mouth, worrying it between his lips and scraping it gently with his teeth. Her hands flew to the back of his head as her body bowed. Beautiful. Nothing was more sensuous than seeing Sierra with her eyes closed, her head thrown back, and her lips parted in a moan. So fucking sexy. This woman played him so easily.
Ryan moved to the neglected breast, drawing more sounds from the back of Sierra’s throat. If she was trying to say something he didn’t understand a word but her hands anchored at the back of his head clearly told him…
Don’t stop.
Nuzzling between her breasts, he placed open-mouthed kisses all the way down her torso, stopping to run his tongue in her belly button before continuing the damp path to the place he most wanted to be. Right between her thighs.
“Open for me, baby. I want to hear you scream my name when you come.”
He nudged her legs apart, his tongue running along the seam of her thigh where it met her hip. She bucked underneath him, a gasp escaping from between her lips but he placed tiny baby kisses on her inner thigh until she was still again, although her entire body trembled in response.
The first touch of his tongue on her clit had her nails digging into his scalp. She mewled as his tongue traced her folds and then circled her clit, never quite giving her what she needed to go over. Teasing and building the pleasure, layering it, was half the fun. She was moving restlessly under him, saying his name softly under her breath when he pressed first one and then a second finger inside of her.
Christ, she was snug. Fucking this woman was going to be pure, unadulterated bliss.
And short if he wasn’t careful.
Crooking his fingers in a come-hither motion to rub that sweet spot inside of her, he closed his mouth over her swollen pearl and gently sucked. Because he’d taken her to the precipice, she fell over instantly at his intimate touch. This time she did cry out his name as her walls tightened on his fingers, almost drawing them farther in.
He drew out her climax as long as he could before climbing up her body and pressing a kiss to the spot where her pulse beat madly at the base of her throat.
“Are you ready for me, baby?”
She nodded, still breathless from her orgasm and her hands traveled down to his ass, giving him an encouraging squeeze. Positioning himself between her thighs, he nudged her entrance and then froze, reality smacking him in the face. Thank God his brain wasn’t completely devoid of blood.
“Sierra,” he groaned. “We need protection. I have some next door.”
Her eyes widened and then his words seemed to make sense. She took a deep breath, her cheeks turning red. “I have some here.”
That was the best damn news he’d heard in a long time. He hadn’t wanted to go out into the cold but he wanted her so badly he would have and gladly. But this was much better.
But she was still talking, a little fast and nervously.
“My sister put them in my cosmetics bag. I wasn’t planning on…you know…this. She just wanted me to be prepared…just in case.”
For some reason, Sierra was embarrassed to have condoms. She didn’t need to be. He was thrilled that she was responsible enough to be prepared.
“Tell me where they are and I’ll go get them. You stay here and keep warm.”
Her legs might be a little wobbly after her climax, although it wasn’t exactly easy for him to walk with a huge hard on. She explained where her travel cosmetics case was located and he took the flashlight and quickly retrieved the box. A twelve-pack. That might just be enough depending on how long the power stayed out.
When he returned to the living room, she held out her arms and he tossed away the flashlight on the couch and knelt down close. She had the softest skin and he could spend all day running his hands over it, delighting in the difference between their bodies. Hers so soft and curved and inviting.
After. I can do that afterward.
Giggling like teenagers, they fumbled with opening the box and then the foil packet. It should have felt strange and awkward but it was nice, this friendliness mixed with desire. Laughing with a lov
er was almost as good as climaxing with one. This wasn’t something he was used to but he liked it. Even if they hadn’t made love, he genuinely enjoyed Sierra’s company.
Rolling on the condom, he didn’t hover above her like last time, instead lying down beside her and rolling her onto her side so he was spooning her back. He lifted her top leg up and back and rested it on his before beginning to push inside of her welcoming channel. Her muscles gripped him, guiding his way and pulling him deeper.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck, her scent teasing his nostrils as he breathed in deeply. His chest tightened painfully as he watched the pleasure on her face as he withdrew slightly and then thrust back in. Her sighs were music to his needy ears.
One arm slid underneath Sierra to pluck at a hard nipple while the other hand slid down her belly to the warm and damp juncture of her thighs. His fingers brushed her clit, making circles around it as he lazily thrust in and out, determined to take his time. He wanted to watch her come again almost as much as he wanted to himself. The pressure in his lower back was becoming unbearable but he gritted his teeth and ignored it. Nothing was going to rush him.
Except her. She was moving now, pushing herself back every time he pushed forward. Her breath came in pants and moans, her movements more frenzied as she neared her peak. Her nails dug into his arm and she whispered his name like an incantation, casting a spell over the two of them as if they were the only lovers left on the planet. The storm had created this amazingly private moment, the entire world hidden under a blanket of ice. It would melt eventually but for now it shielded them from the cold realities outside of these walls.
“Now, Ryan,” she breathed. “Harder. Faster.”
Picking up the pace, he pistoned in and out of her, blood pumping loudly in his ears. He groaned loudly as his orgasm hit him sideways like a freight train, starting at his spine and pulling him inside out. He squeezed his eyes shut but then pried them open again to watch Sierra fall. He wanted to see her beautiful face at that particular moment.
Her climax quickly followed, his fingers speeding up as he rubbed her sensitive button until she exploded. She did call his name again and her head fell back onto his damp chest, her expression one of total bliss.
Their bodies went limp, their skin sticky from sweat. He didn’t bother to move and he couldn’t have even if he wanted to. She’d worn him out, at least for now, but he was going to want her again. His hunger was building already. She reached out and softly stroked the rapidly cooling flesh of his arm.
“That was…amazing.”
Her warm breath huffed against his shoulder, sending a shudder of pleasure through him. Everything she did felt good.
He chuckled and nuzzled her cheek. “It was. We should do it again when we’re rested up.”
“I think I’d like that.”
For now, he’d happily stay under the spell. He’d worry about tomorrow…later.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
It should have felt strange to wake up in Ryan’s arms but it didn’t. If anything, it felt wonderful and definitely worth repeating. She’d woken before him and had spent the time simply enjoying being held. Her marriage hadn’t included physical affection except maybe at the beginning, but that had always been to get sex. No one had ever held her just because it felt nice. Not her mother, not the few boyfriends she’d had, and certainly not her loser of a husband.
He smelled good, too. She breathed his scent in deeply while letting her gaze run all over his face and body. He was a handsome man, although not a pretty boy. Now that she had the time to inspect him, she could see that his nose was slightly crooked and his eyebrow had a tiny scar right at the corner. It made him even more endearing as she pictured him as a little boy falling off his bicycle or maybe sliding into third base during a Little League game. All those normal childhood activities she’d only seen on television but had never experienced herself.
She was so lost in thought that she didn’t notice that one of his eyes had opened and a smile had curled his lips. “Do I pass, honey?”
Jerking her gaze back to his face, she could feel the warmth invading her cheeks. So busted.
“Pass?”
“Inspection.” He stretched lazily, the blanket falling down around his lean waist as he sat up. “You seemed to be looking at me as if you were trying to decide if I passed inspection. Do I?”
Oh hell yes.
“For the most part.” She gave him her best flirtatious smile, although playfulness with a man wasn’t something she excelled at. All she could think about was if she had dragon breath and Medusa hair. “Did you sleep okay?’
She didn’t know what else to ask or say. How did one make small talk the morning after? Should she offer to make breakfast? Just what was the protocol?
Make your own rules.
Billie’s words echoed in her head, reminding her that Sierra didn’t have to follow a script. She could do whatever she wanted to. She’d probably never see Ryan again unless it was at some fancy Hollywood party and that would be from across the room. By then they would have both moved on.
Or at least he would have.
He leaned down and dropped a brief but firm kiss on her lips. If she had dragon breath, he at least didn’t faint. “Best damn night’s sleep I’ve had since I started this movie. Hmmm…I wonder why? What could be different?”
The flush that had started in her cheeks grew and she could feel the heat all the way to her chest and ears.
“I slept good, too.”
His smile fell and his brows pulled down. “Are you sure? You were in some pain earlier. How’s your back now? We didn’t hurt it more when we… I tried to pick a position that wouldn’t make it worse.”
His voice trailed off but she understood what he was saying. That he’d been so kind to think of her comfort and well-being at such an intimate moment was simply another point in his favor. He appeared to be a genuinely good person.
If I can trust my instincts. I’ve made mistakes in the past.
“It’s fine,” she said quickly, her hand flying to that spot that usually ached right above her left hip. “Much better.”
Although she wouldn’t mind more of that pain gel. The rush of endorphins from the orgasm had helped a whole lot, too.
“We’ll put some more gel on this morning,” he promised, levering up to stoke the fire and add some wood. Completely unconcerned about his nudity, the blanket fell away exposing his firm buttocks and his muscled thighs. Such a beautiful man. “How did you hurt your back? Car accident? You don’t look the type to play rugby or football.”
It was meant as a joke and if she was smart she’d smile and laugh at it, then make some joke about sky diving and extreme cliff diving. They’d both giggle and she could change the subject.
But…there was a part deep inside of her that was tired of lying, because that’s what it was. It might be lying by omission but it was still lying. Her past was a part of her life and with a hell of a lot of help from Billie, Tyler, and her therapist, she was coming to grips with it. That meant being honest about it. What happened to her wasn’t her fault. It was Brian’s fault.
They could argue all day about how long she’d stayed but her self-esteem had been battered too and she simply hadn’t thought she was worth having any other life. Not until that night she’d lain there on the kitchen floor thinking she was dying. It was then that she’d found the will to have a different and better life. She’d found that strength to call the police and this time press charges, telling the cop she wanted him in jail. There had been no wavering when the social worker had come into her hospital room, the same one she’d seen the two times before that.
Sierra wanted out. She wanted a better life and she wanted Brian to pay for what he’d done. And she sure as hell didn’t want any other woman to go through this, too. He needed to learn that hitting a woman wasn’t the answer to his problems.
If Ryan thought any less of her because she’d been a battered woman then
…well…she’d have to live with that. There would always be people who were going to judge her.
“No, it wasn’t a car accident,” she heard herself reply. She could have stopped there but she didn’t. It was time to stand up to Brian in this final way. She’d left this one chain on for too long. He didn’t get to control her romantic relationships, too. Not now, not ever. The proverbial key had always been in her hand and now was the time to use it to open the locks. “My ex-husband abused me and I ended up in the hospital several times. The last time was the worst and that’s when I moved out to California with Billie and Tyler and divorced him.”
That was an edited version, without all the dirty details, but no one needed to know just how pathetic she’d been at that low point in her life. Literally the lowest point ever.
Ryan’s mouth fell open and his eyes widened before he gained control over his expression. Clearly, she’d shocked him, though.
His mouth then snapped shut and a muscle worked in his jaw. “Please tell me the son of a bitch is in jail. Or six feet under.”
“He was in jail but now he’s not. He is on probation and is not allowed anywhere near me.”
Growling, Ryan bared his teeth. “A restraining order? A bunch of words not worth the piece of paper they’re printed on. You need round the clock security. I can arrange–”
Holding up her hand, Sierra shook her head. It was sweet that he was all protective but he didn’t need to go off the deep end. It had been handled.
“Hold on. It’s lovely that you feel that way but he’s not going to come anywhere near me. If he does, he goes back to jail. That’s the deal he made with the courts. Add in the fact that he can’t hold down a job, he couldn’t put the money together to travel to California or anywhere that I’m filming.” Then she said out loud what she’d only suspected. “Besides, I’m pretty sure that Tyler paid him off. I’ve never asked him and he’s never said anything but he came home one day and basically told me I didn’t have anything to fear ever again.”
And the Winner Is Page 8
