He’s pulling me in deeper, and I’m starting to realize I’ve already been sinking into the quicksand, and there’s no saving me now.
Another beat passes before he blinks and releases me from his grip. A rush of breath leaving my lungs.
“We’re almost there,” he says, taking my gloved hand in his as we continue on down the sidewalk, the lights of the shops guiding our way.
This man really throws me off my game. The sassy, quick-witted Ashley everyone–including me–knows, is reduced to a tongue-tied mess when he looks at me like that.
Only a few other people have braved the streets so soon after the storm, and all of them turn and stare at us.
“Uh, Ryan?”
“I know. It’s a small town. People stare, people talk. I’m sure the news that the lonely bachelor sheriff was out holding hands with a beautiful woman will be tomorrow’s fresh gossip.”
“What?” Hell no, I don’t want to be town gossip.
“It’ll be fine, Ash.”
Will it? because I really don’t need, or want, the attention.
“Lonely bachelor?”
He looks down at me and winks. “It’s what they all think because I’m never seen with women.”
Women. He said women. As in plural. As in many.
Not that I thought I was some new revelation to him, but hearing him say it like that…I don’t like it.
“So, you keep your hordes of women a secret from the town?”
Throwing his head back, Ryan’s deep, throaty laugh fills the air around us. “Yes, Ashley, I do,” he tells me, a wicked gleam in his eyes.
Is he joking?
“Are you serious?”
“About having hordes of women?” He smiles playfully. “Or about keeping women a secret from the town?”
“Uh, both?”
“I wouldn’t say hordes.” He laughs. “But I’ve learned to be careful. I have to keep my reputation clean.”
“So, what I’m hearing is that you only date women who would sully your good name? And you have to keep them hidden?” I make sure it sounds like I’m joking, but even I can hear the insecurity in my voice.
“No, that’s not what I meant, Ash. I just meant that I have to be a poster boy for the town, for the county, for the state. I don’t need a bad breakup to effect my work, or have a woman who doesn’t know what it means to be with me causing a scandal.”
“And what does it mean to be with you?” I ask, my eyes darting to his face to gauge his reaction.
“I’m a public figure.” He shrugs, as if that should be a blanket explanation. “Some women don’t like that I’m not always around or available to them. I have duties, responsibilities. And not many understand that. And some might use that to ruin me.”
“Wow, your view on women is eye opening. We’re not all out to get you. And you do realize that your job attracts some women, right? It doesn’t push them away.”
“Does it attract you?” Such a simple question, but I feel like it’s packed with about a thousand others. If I say yes, does it mean I’m admitting to him more than I’m ready to? Or want to?
“Yes.” The word is barely above a whisper, but I force it out of me.
“Good.” He nods, a small smile on his lips as he opens the restaurant door for me.
Chapter 19
Dinner was amazing. I’ve never enjoyed sitting and eating with anyone more in my life. Sitting across from Ryan as he told me funny stories about him and his brothers had my cheeks hurting from laughing and smiling.
The ten or so other patrons in Anthony’s all came up to Ryan to say hi, and introduce themselves to me. It was friendly, but intrusive. But what else should I expect from a small town?
As we’re walking back to his house, it requires a little more focus now that I’ve had a few glasses of wine. Good thing, though, because I can barely feel the bitter cold against my face now.
A gust of wind blows my hair across my face as snow falls gently from the trees–swirling, twirling, and drifting down like glitter–and I tilt my face up to meet each flake like a gift.
Blinking away the snow from my eyelashes, I focus on the man in front of me. His stare is intense and penetrating, and heats my cheeks despite the cold air.
“What are you looking at?”
“You love the snow, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” I smile, walking a few steps away from him. Closing my eyes, I lift my arms and spin. “The cold air makes me feel alive, and the snow feels like a gift just for me. When the trees are covered, and everything is blanketed in white, it makes even the ugly look beautiful, and the beautiful even more so.”
Two strong arms loop around my waist from behind, and pick me up, pulling me against a rock-solid torso.
“Hey!” I laugh, squealing at the sudden rush of being swept up in the air.
“Hey, what? I couldn’t take another second of not holding you. And I agree, you look more beautiful when you’re in the snow,” he rasps.
“Oh, okay.” I smile up at him, stretching my neck back to kiss his chin before he lowers me to the ground. Holding my hand out for Ryan to take, we continue on walking.
I don’t know if it’s the wine I had, or the magic of the snow, but it feels like nothing but the here and now matters.
All of my fears and doubts can wait until the morning.
Whatever this is between us, I just want to let myself have it. I want to give in to the fact that I’m falling so hard for this man, and not worry about what that means for my heart tomorrow.
I just want tonight.
I feel lighter, somehow.
It’s new, but I know what it is. Happiness. I’m happy just to be around him, and even though it’s only been a few days, they’ve been the best days of my life.
I’ve been free to just be me. Something I haven’t been able to do in a very long time.
As we walk up his driveway, I’m only half paying attention to where I’m going, because I miss the huge patch of ice and my feet are suddenly sliding out from under me.
“Whoooaa! Ahh!!” I scream, knowing I’m about to fall flat on my ass.
Ryan reaches out to try and steady me, but he just ends up slipping on the same patch. Spinning, we start to fall, and the air rushes out of my lungs as we land in the snow mound next to his truck.
Ryan protects me in the steel cage of his arms, and my face is plastered to his chest.
The cold snow enveloping us starts to seep through my clothes, and I burst out laughing, my whole body shaking against his.
“Something funny, Ashley?”
“N-n-o-o,” I manage to stutter through my laughter.
“Really?” he asks, a smile in his voice.
“Mhmm,” I hum. “Ah! Ryan!” I scream as he rolls us over, the cold, wet snow slowly numbing my legs.
I open my mouth to say something, but I’m silenced by his wolfish smile before he slams his mouth down on mine. Moaning on impact, I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him as close as I can.
His kisses warm me from the inside out, the heat quickly spreading through my veins–the cold no longer on my mind.
A shudder rocks my body, and Ryan rolls us back over, taking my place in the snow. Licking the seam of my lips, I open for him, and our tongues come together in a slow dance I never want to end.
My God, he’s addicting. I don’t think I could ever get tired of kissing him.
As the fire in me builds, I rock my hips against his, needing to relieve the pressure building inside of me.
“Ryan,” I whisper, moaning against his lips as I feel him harden beneath me.
“Stand up. I need you. Now.”
Scrambling to our feet, Ryan all but drags me the rest of the way inside of his house, when my body finally catches up to me. The snow seeped into my clothes, and my body is starting to shake where I stand.
Sweeping me up into his arms, Ryan carries me upstairs and into his room, placing me down on the edge of his bed.
He rips the hat and gloves from my body and tosses them to the floor. I try and untie the belt on my coat, but my shaking hands make it nearly impossible, so Ryan shoves them out of the way and takes over, a determined look on his face.
I don’t do anything but stare at him, watching his eyes laser in on the task–his tongue peeking out from his mouth, and his perfect teeth pressing into the cushion of his bottom lip.
I can’t wait to feel his mouth on me, his teeth raking down my neck, and his tongue licking paths of fire on my skin.
When he frees the final button of my coat, Ryan pushes it off of my shoulders and tosses it on top of my hat and gloves.
He makes quick work on my vest, top, and boots, but pauses when he sees me in my bra, his hands gripping the waist of my leather leggings.
With a heated look, he starts to peel them down, and I lean back, lifting myself up so he can get them over my hips. Slowly, he pulls them down, his eyes taking in every inch of my legs that he exposes.
“Fuck.” He growls when he frees me of them, looking up at me from his knees.
I give him a sly smile and hold my hand out for him to pull me up. Standing, he drinks me in from head to toe, his eyes molten and his nostrils flared.
“Turn,” he commands, and I don’t hesitate. “Fuck.” He growls again, and a sting flashes across my right ass cheek.
Collapsing forward, my hands reach out to brace myself on the bed, bent over the edge, my ass on full display for him.
“This is what you were walking around in earlier? You just love teasing me, don’t you?”
“Yes.” I breathe out, my skin hot.
Another flash of sting comes, this time on my left cheek, and I suck in a sharp breath, loving this side of him.
Gripping the thin material of my lace thong in his fist, Ryan rips it from my body, plunging his fingers into me straight away.
“You’re fucking drenched.” He growls behind me, running his free hand up the length of my back.
Groaning, I arch into his touch, asking for more.
He kisses his way up my spine, and I push back into him, his thick fingers working in and out of me as my breathy moans and sighs fill my ears–my arms threatening to give out on me.
He’s inside of me, touching me, kissing me.
I feel him everywhere at once, my body in overdrive.
He knows exactly how to make me forget everything but him. He knows exactly how to make me lose my mind and every semblance of a coherent thought.
All I can think about is feeling.
All I can think about is him.
Pulling his fingers out of me, Ryan grips my waist and flips me over, pushing me onto the bed.
Tearing his clothes off, he keeps his eyes on me, letting me see the hunger and need in them.
It’s what I need.
I need him to want me with everything in him. I need him to want me with such an intensity–that if he doesn’t have me now–then he’ll fucking lose it.
Gripping my thighs, Ryan opens me wide, spreading me so he can enter me in one swift motion–filling me to the point of pain. But a pain that flames into a wild burn for him to take me with every ounce of hunger I see in his eyes.
“Ryan,” I moan out. “Don’t hold back. Take me. All of me.”
His eyes harden, and he tightens his grip on my hips. Pulling out of me slowly, the slow burning drag makes every muscle I have contract, trying to hold him inside.
When he’s almost fully out, he thrusts forward, slamming into me. I scream, arching off the bed as I scratch at his comforter trying to grip it, but my nails come up with nothing.
His eyes stay on me, watching my face as he pumps in and out of me–splitting me, filling me, taking me higher and higher until I’m no longer here.
I’m flying, soaring. And when I can’t take it anymore, my body shatters, transforming into a thousand birds all taking flight amongst the stars.
Ryan soon joins me, and we both take the night like we own it.
He owns it. He owns me.
Chapter 20
I wake up to the slight movement of the bed next to me and warm lips on my forehead.
“Mmm,” I hum, my eyes fluttering open to a dimly lit room and Ryan over me, his warm blue eyes shining. “Are you leaving?” I ask groggily.
“Yeah, I have work.”
“Do you ever have a day off?”
“Yes.” He smiles regretfully. “I was supposed to have today off, but I have to go in. With the storm, we have a lot to do and we’re stretched thin.”
“Okay,” I whisper, bringing the blanket up to my chin. “I’ll see you later, though?”
“Of course, sweetheart.” He chuckles. “This is my house, remember?”
“Oh, yeah.” I smile sleepily. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay, go back to sleep.”
“Mhmm,” I hum, closing my eyes again, snuggling deeper into his bed.
The next time my eyes open, the room is brighter, but empty. He hasn’t had a day off since I’ve been here, and I wish he didn’t have to work so much, but I know it comes with the territory. And normally I wouldn’t mind because I love my alone time, but I’m just here, by myself, in his house. At least if he was here, then we could just stay in bed all day and only leave when we got hungry.
Mmm, his bed feels like a warm hug. I love it way more than the guest bedroom’s bed I’ve been staying in. Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve even been in here besides when he gave me a tour that first day.
It seems the bars of the headboard in there are more suitable for his needs since the one in here is leather, and there’s nowhere for him to cuff me.
Smiling at that thought, I bite my lip and roll over onto my other side, feeling a throbbing in my core.
He’s fucking amazing.
Last night. I have no words. We started out rough and frenzied, not being able to get to the end fast enough. But sometime in the middle of the night, after losing count of how many times he took me, Ryan rolled me onto my back and slipped inside of me.
Slowly, he made me burn for him as he took his time.
His eyes were on mine the entire time, and I felt it–that shift inside of me. My heart squeezed in my chest, and then kicked up double time, racing like a horse in the derby running straight for the finish line.
Ryan is my finish line.
The slow burning fire turned into a 5-alarm blaze as my body ignited, burned, singed, and turned to ash under him.
He’s had me since that night last summer. And these days with him have only solidified that fact.
I refuse to believe he didn’t feel it too. He had to have.
Flashes of us pop into my head and I groan, covering my head with the blanket.
I’m utterly and completely fucked, in all aspects and meanings of the phrase. I’ve completely fallen in love with Ryan Taylor.
I can’t deal with it, though. And before I can overthink it, I slide out of bed and go and take a shower. The hot water hits my skin, and I try and let it wash away all of my doubts.
I’d like to think Ryan feels the same, but I don’t know. I know he likes me, but love? I think I might be the only one crazy enough to fall for someone so fast.
Finishing up, I turn the water off and wrap myself in a fluffy towel. Heading back into my room, I sit on the bed and grab my phone, seeing it blinking with a new message.
Hey, Ash! Want to meet for lunch? You’ve been holed up with the hot sheriff and I want some time with my bestie.
Yes! I need to leave this house, lol. I’ve already spent too many days alone here while Ryan’s working.
Yay! I’ll pick you up at twelve.
Okay. I’m getting dressed now.
Tossing my phone aside, I dig through my suitcase and pull out a pair of leggings–shocker–and a quarter zip sweatshirt.
I throw on thick boot socks and dry my hair before braiding it into one long plait down my back. I apply a light layer of makeup to cover up the fact that
I was kept up most of the night by a relentless Ryan–not that I’d ever complain about that.
Padding back into his room in search of my snow boots and jacket, I find all of my clothes draped neatly over his chair to dry, and my coat is hanging from the top of the closet door.
Slipping my feet into my boots, I drape my coat over my arm and grab my phone and purse from my room before heading downstairs, just in time for my phone to buzz with Ally telling me she’s outside.
Closing the door behind me, I climb into her car and hug her straight away. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever! Even though it’s been less than a week.”
“I know! It feels like the past five days have been stretched into weeks. Not that Jake and I have had any problem filling our time.”
“Yeah, me too.” I smile, and Ally swerves, barking out a laugh. “Oh my God, focus on the road!” I yell, laughing.
“How’s that going by the way?” she asks, pulling herself together.
“Good. Really good, actually. Last night, it was…” I sigh, biting my lip as I think about how different last night was.
“You’re falling for him,” she states matter–of–factly, glancing over at me. “It’s written all over your face.”
“You don’t know my face.”
“We’ve been best friends since high school, bitch. I know your face.”
“Okay, and?”
“And…that’s my point. Also, I had to endure all three of you telling me last summer about how I was different, and I was in love–blah, blah, blah. Now I’m doing it to you because Ellie and Mel aren’t here.”
“Blah, blah, blah? That’s how you describe falling in love with Jake?”
“No.” She smiles. “But you know what I mean. It’s all in the things that you can’t explain. All the things unspoken between you. Every look, touch, and kiss. It’s all there.”
“I know,” I whisper, looking out the window as she parks in a spot outside of the café. The plows must have been out early today, because there was nothing here last night.
Ally climbs out of the car, and I follow her. The bells jingle above us as we walk through the café’s doors, and I inhale the heavenly scent of fresh coffee.
Her Maine Reaction Page 18
