His fingers slowly pushed into me, one at first but then two right after, and it was fucking fantastic. Perhaps it was the way I was situated on his lap, or the angle at which his fingers slid so deftly into me, or it could have been the fact that we were out in the fucking open and anyone could have come across us, but I was absolutely wired. I went from zero to sixty in a heartbeat.
“Oh,” I cried out when his thumb brushed across my clit.
“That good, babe?”
I nodded, biting my lip to keep myself from crying out again.
His thumb continued its delicious torture, circling and pressing in tandem with his fingers curling against the sensitive spot inside of me.
Within a few minutes I was absolutely done, moments away from coming unhinged. I wrapped my arms tightly around his shoulders, burying my face in his neck, sinking my teeth into him to stifle my moans, all the while grinding my pussy down on his hand, trying to find that euphoric release.
“Yes, Riley. Fuck, yes. Get there.” Camden’s voice was harsh and choppy, and so fucking sexy. Before him I never would have thought hearing a man demand I come would be such a turn-on, but it so was. So sexy, in fact, that it pushed me over that proverbial edge and I came hard, riding my fiancé’s hand in a public hot tub. And it was awesome.
“Holy shit,” he breathed a minute later, when I’d finally regained my faculties and sat upright. “That was hot.”
“Well,” I said, my voice dreamy and sleepy, completely sated, “we are in a hot tub.”
“Funny, Smith.” He gripped my hips and pulled my core against his erection, which was impressively hard, and said, “We’re going to sit here for a few minutes to let my dick calm down, and then we’re going back to the suite. I’m going to make you come again with my mouth, and then I’m going to bend you over the counter in the bathroom with all the mirrors and watch as I take you from behind. From all angles.”
I was instantly aroused again, which was, quite honestly, ridiculous. But that was Camden for you. He had the innate ability to be the sweet, caring partner one minute and then the rough and demanding lover the next. He was the best.
“Can I make one small request?” I asked, shamelessly rubbing my core up and down his erection just to watch him squirm.
“Hmmm,” he said, his fingers digging into the flesh on my hips.
“Can I make you come with my mouth too?” I batted my eyelashes at him, feigning innocence.
The corner of his mouth tipped up into a sexy smirk.
“I think that can be arranged.”
Chapter Nine
Riley
A few weeks passed, but they flew by in what seemed like a blink of an eye. All of a sudden—without warning, it seemed—warm weather was welcomed to Portland. Portlanders only enjoyed three months of sunny weather, so when it started, it came on abruptly. Suddenly boats filled the Willamette River and people were flocking to the beach at every opportunity.
The city streets were filled with people walking, rain boots replaced with sandals. Large coats replaced with tank tops. Smart pants replaced with sundresses. It was my favorite time of year.
Unfortunately, I was so busy I hardly noticed the change in weather.
Rose had me working a few big events, and even though I hadn’t been to Arizona since the first trip, I was doing some work over the phone for Lily, making sure everything was set for her big day.
When I wasn’t working, I was packing. My place, Camden’s place—I was a packing fool. On the rare Saturday neither Camden nor I was working, we were at the home improvement store looking at paint samples and appliances.
I woke up one day and I was suddenly an adult.
It was both wonderful and scary.
Nothing was more adult, however, than sitting next to Camden in the office of our mortgage broker, signing our names on the contract that made us homeowners. My name was right there next to Camden’s and we had purchased a house. Together.
It was both wonderful and scary.
When the kind woman who’d brought us through the hour-long process of signing the paperwork handed us each a key, I could’ve fainted. It was a surreal feeling.
“You two enjoy your new home,” she said with a smile, our cue to leave. Funnily enough, I had no idea what to do next. We’d just bought a house. Were we supposed to just go back to the condo and pretend as though something huge hadn’t just happened? But Camden rose, sure of himself, so I followed suit. He shook her hand and thanked her, and I did the same. Then he took my hand and led me from the building straight to the Batmobile. I slid into the passenger seat right after he’d opened the door for me, and I watched as he calmly walked around the front of the car and slid into his own seat.
He started the car, the nearly silent purr now familiar but still impressive. When he glanced over at me, I was sure I looked like a deer caught in headlights.
“We own a house, babe. You and me. It’s ours.” The emphasis he put on ‘ours’ made my heart melt a little. Sometimes I forgot how sentimental Camden could be. He was a lot of things: funny, smart, sexy, protective, sensitive. But he was also caring. The idea that he was just as excited to be linked in this legally binding way as I was… well, it was sweet.
I leaned over and kissed him, at a loss for words. I was still kind of in a stupor over the whole thing.
“Let’s go see the house,” he said, excitement filling his voice.
We’d only been able to get inside the house once since we made the offer and that was during the inspection. We’d taken a thousand pictures, or so it seemed, but I had to admit I was dying to go inside again and look around our house.
“Okay,” I replied, my excitement matching his.
He held my hand the entire trip, and as we pulled into our new neighborhood, I couldn’t help the smile or how it spread wider across my face. He must have felt it too because his hand squeezed mine. When we pulled onto our street, my heart rate spiked and I almost felt like I was going to burst with joy.
As we approached our beautiful home, I was completely shocked.
Standing outside the house holding a huge banner that read “Welcome Home” were Hadley, Rachel, Jasper, Camden’s mom and stepdad, and Justin.
“Oh my gosh. What are they doing here?” I asked, looking at Camden.
“Surprise” was all he said in response.
“Did you plan this?”
He shrugged. “I thought it would be fun to have everyone over.”
I leaned over the console and kissed his cheek.
He pulled the Batmobile into the driveway and our family and friends crowded around us, smiling and waving.
“Who wants a tour?” Camden practically shouted as he got out of the car.
I was met with hugs from everyone. Camden’s mother, Meg, pulled me in for a long embrace, whispering in my ear, “We’re so excited for you two.”
“Thanks,” I said after she pulled away.
Camden’s stepfather hugged me too. We’d come a long way in the months since we first met. And any resentment I’d felt toward him in the beginning had faded completely. He loved Camden, and I knew anything he’d ever said about me had only come from a good place. And the fact that he’d apologized and had since treated me with nothing but kindness and graciousness went a long way to endear me to him. “It’s a beautiful home, Riley,” he said, patting my shoulder.
“Thank you. It’s more than I ever wished for.” And that counted toward my whole life in that moment. Everything I had, the job, the house, the man—it was all more than I ever dreamed of having.
“You both deserve it, and all the happiness I know you’ll have inside of it.”
“Thank you,” I said again, tears stinging my eyes, unsure of what else to say.
“Stop making my girl cry,” Camden said with a smile, pulling me to his side and leading me to the front door.
The door opened and we all flooded in. My chest filled with emotion watching the people I cared about most wandering
around my new home. It didn’t even matter that it was huge and expensive; what mattered was that it was ours and our friends and family were there, together, enjoying it.
“Hey, stranger,” Hadley said, sidling up to me where I leaned against the kitchen counter. “Long time no see,” she teased.
“Oh, Hadley, I’m sorry I’ve been absent lately. This has been a huge undertaking. Buying a house is crazy.”
“I can imagine.” Her words were kind, and I knew she wasn’t really upset with me for not being around, but I could also tell that she missed me. “It’s beautiful, Riley,” she said, looking at me and smiling. “It’s perfect, really. I hope you aren’t planning on changing much.”
“Not a ton. Just some paint colors and putting up window treatments. Really boring stuff,” I said with a laugh when I realized she probably didn’t care about drapes and paint samples. Hadley’s eyes drifted to where Justin was standing in the empty living room. “I notice the two of you haven’t really said much to each other since I’ve been here. What’s the update with him?” I asked, nodding toward where Justin was talking with Camden and his stepfather.
“No updates,” she said quickly, her eyes darting away from him.
“So he still hasn’t admitted he wants you desperately?” I joked. I knew there was something between Hadley and Justin, and I also knew that even though she denied it, she felt something different for him than she did all the other guys she hooked up with.
“Whatever happened between us is in the past. I’ve moved on.”
“Good,” I said, bumping my shoulder against hers, even though I didn’t believe her in the slightest.
“Babe,” Camden called as he headed toward the French doors that led to the backyard. “Come on.” He waved a hand at me, beckoning me to follow him.
“My presence is requested,” I said to Hadley.
“Keep pretending like you wouldn’t follow him anywhere,” she said with a wink.
I smiled at her, then went to Camden.
He took me outside and my mouth dropped open in shock. The entire backyard was set up for a party. There was a huge table with chairs with a beautiful tablecloth, complete with place settings. There was a free-standing hammock, food on the counter by the grill, an open cooler filled with beer and soda—it looked like the most beautiful summer cookout.
“Who did all this?”
“Well, Justin brought over all the food, and my mom put together all the decorations and stuff.”
I turned and looked at him. “I can’t believe this is my life right now.”
“It’s our life, babe.”
“Who wants a burger and who wants a dog?” Justin called out as he stepped outside. People all over called out their orders and I just leaned into Cam, wrapping my arms around his waist. The day couldn’t get any better.
“There’s no way my sister lives in a house this nice.”
At the familiar voice, I spun away from Camden, only to have my eyes land on my baby brother.
“Tripp? What are you doing here?” I screamed, running toward him and wrapping him in my arms as soon as he was in reach.
His arms circled me and held tightly. Tripp only lived a few hours away, but he was busy all the time with school and work so I hardly ever saw him. After a very long but not-long-enough hug, I pulled away and looked up at him, trying to hold back the tears. He was my little brother by four years, but he was tall and broad and I hadn’t been able to look down at him in a long time.
“Camden called and said you were having a housewarming party. I finished classes yesterday. Here I am.” He smiled and held his arms out like he was an offering, so I hugged him again.
“Tripp,” Hadley said, coming up beside us. “You grew up since I saw you last.” She hugged him too, and like always, Tripp’s eyes turned into big cartoon hearts. He’d been crushing on Hadley ever since I met her in college. It started innocent enough since he was just a boy back then, but he’d never outgrown his infatuation.
“Hey, Hadley,” he squeaked, hugging her back.
“How long are you here for?” I asked him, wiping the happy tears from my face.
“Just the night. Have to be back at work tomorrow evening.”
A huge frown pulled at my face.
“Sorry, sis. Someone’s got to pay the bills.”
“Don’t let her guilt you too badly. Riley works harder than anyone I’ve ever met.” That came from Jasper, who had just walked outside with Rachel.
“That’s the truth,” Rachel added, smiling widely at me.
“Tripp, this is Jasper and Rachel. They’re my friends and coworkers.”
“Nice to meet you,” Tripp said, holding a hand out to Jasper. But when his eyes turned to Rachel, it was as though he lost his words for a moment. “Um, hi,” he stammered. “I’m Tripp.” He reached out to her slowly and I watched as sparks ignited between them. Rachel blushed as my brother shook her hand for much longer than socially acceptable, but she wasn’t complaining.
“I’m Rachel.”
I didn’t know why it had never occurred to me to talk my brother up to Rachel. They were the same age and she was one of my most favorite people. I’m not sure I’d ever spoken about Tripp to them though, which was sad.
“Tripp is getting his MBA at University of Oregon,” I tell them, even though he and Rachel hadn’t taken their eyes off each other.
“That must be really interesting,” Rachel said. She sounded nervous, and Rachel was never nervous. “I took a few business classes in college.”
“Really?” he asked, smiling.
“Yeah.”
“Can I get you something to drink?”
I’d never seen my brother try to pick a girl up before, and I found it very entertaining. He wasn’t half bad, actually.
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to take you away from Riley. I’m sure she wants to catch up with you.”
He didn’t even look my way before he replied with, “I’ll see her plenty. I’m helping them move. Come on.”
I watched, mouth gaping, as he smoothly pressed a hand to the small of her back and led her across the patio to where the giant red cooler sat with all the beverages inside.
“Did that just happen?” I asked anyone and everyone.
“Your brother better not screw Rachel over,” Jasper said, a warning tone to his voice.
“Hey, Tripp is a decent guy.”
“That may be so, but I stand by my statement.” Jasper was also a good guy, and I couldn’t fault him for wanting to protect Rachel; she was so smart and sweet. I didn’t think Tripp would ever do anything to intentionally hurt anyone, though.
“Maybe they’ll hit it off,” I said with a shrug.
“Okay,” Camden broke in, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “He’s getting her a beer, not an engagement ring. Chill out, guys. Let’s not start planning their wedding.”
“Yeah,” Jasper said eagerly. “Let’s plan yours instead.”
“Did someone say wedding?” Camden’s mother asked, coming up behind him.
“Have there been new developments?” Hadley asked.
And suddenly I was anxious. We were standing on the patio of my brand new house—which I couldn’t afford on my own—asking about wedding plans. The job, the house, the fiancé, the wedding—I absolutely couldn’t do it all, and my brain knew it.
“No wedding talk tonight, guys,” Camden said firmly, and I watched as all three of their faces fell, Jasper’s the most.
“There’s no hurry, dear,” Meg said, reaching out and squeezing my hand.
“Do you even know which season you want to be married in?” Hadley asked, clearly exasperated with me.
“Not in the winter,” I said without thinking. But as soon as I said the words I realized they were very true. I didn’t want to be cold on my wedding day. “I want it to be warm. Maybe on a beach.”
“Hot damn, we’ve got details!” Jasper’s voice was so full of excitement I thought he was going to burst. “Qui
ck, ask her some more questions, Hadley. Get her to answer while she’s on a roll.”
“No more questions,” Camden practically growled. “Let’s just enjoy the house.”
“Can I get a tour?” Meg asked politely, and I knew she was trying to distract Camden and get him to cool down.
“Sure thing, Mom.” He pressed a soft kiss to my temple, then led his mother inside the house. He stopped by Justin, who was manning the grill, on his way in, and I knew he was asking him to keep an eye on me.
Hadley placed a hand on my arm, urging me to look at her. “Can we talk for a minute about how manly Tripp is?”
“Ugh,” I groaned. “Do we have to?” Sure, Tripp was handsome and swoony, but he was my brother and I wanted to think about him in feetie pajamas forever.
“I agree,” Jasper said, leaning toward us like he had a secret. “Why have you been hiding him from us?”
I laughed. “I wasn’t hiding him. He’s a busy college student. Plus he works a full-time job. I hardly ever see him.”
“Well,” Jasper said with a lilt, “if the way he’s devouring Rachel with his eyes is any indication, we’ll be seeing a lot more of him.”
“I need a drink,” I sighed, then left Hadley and Jasper to gossip and headed toward the cooler. I smiled when I saw the Hef on ice. Of course, it was right next to the Guinness. I needed a pillow with the two beers cross-stitched on it. Maybe with a caption that said ‘Opposites Attract.’
“Hey, nice house.” Justin smiled at me and nodded toward the aforementioned house.
“Thanks,” I replied, wearily.
“So, uh, how’s Hadley doing?” He was trying so hard to seem uninterested I almost laughed.
“You could go talk to her yourself and find out,” I offered kindly. I knew there was something going on between them, but I also knew Hadley was somewhat of a man-eater. It was entirely possible that she caught Justin in her trap and then set him free without realizing he had formed an attachment. It wouldn’t have been the first time.
I watched as he looked over at her, his eyes zeroing in on her face, but then he turned back to the grill with a sad expression. “Nah, she looks busy. I was just trying to make conversation.”
Riled Up (With A Kiss #2) Page 9
