Rewind & Go: A Blue-Collar Billionaire Romance (Sander's Valley Book 1) (7 page)

Chapter Six

Ronnie woke to the soft, rhythmic sounds of breathing, and it wasn’t hers. She tensed, a scream lodged in the back of her throat, but awareness returned in a rush of memories.

The break-in, her mom’s will, driving to Sander’s Valley, and…Kyle.

He slept at her back, an arm locked around her chest and a leg draped over hers. His cock pressed against her bottom, and his breath heated the top of her head. Not once in all the years they’d known each other had they ever slept together. She wasn’t quite sure she liked it. It stirred too many youthful dreams and added to the mess of emotions barraging her.

Her obligatory visit to Sander’s Valley wasn’t supposed to end up with her naked in her ex-boyfriend’s bed. Nor was it meant to make her question choices she’d made a decade ago. Maybe she’d been wrong to walk away without talking to him, but she had. Life went on. At seventeen, they’d both wanted different things. There was no shame in it. A decade later, she didn’t know what she wanted.

She also hadn’t meant to fall asleep. After her shower, she’d sat on his bed to get her emotions under control before the larger-than-life Kyle Sander sent them whirling into a tailspin. Decisions based solely on feelings were never wise. Her mother had drilled that into her. She applied the knowledge to business and life, but lately her head had been hazy and she’d been second-guessing everything.

It’d be wise to put some space between them until she could think. No way did she want to hurt Kyle again. She wrapped a hand around his wrist to lift his arm off her. He tightened his hold.

“Are you finally awake, doll?”

Drowsy and low, his voice slipped through her, touching every intimate inch of her body. She squeezed her eyes shut against the surge of arousal. “I’m sorry I fell asleep on you.”

He slid his hand down her stomach, settling it against her lower belly. “You were tired. It’s okay.”

“I was. There’s a lot going on in my life.” She waited for him to drill her about what. He didn’t. She cleared her throat. “I guess I ruined breakfast.”

“No big deal. I wrapped up what I could. We can reheat it later if you’d like.” He brushed his lips against her throat. “Much later, Ronnie. I want to enjoy this moment with you. It’s one I’ve fantasized about for years.”

“Getting me in bed?”

“Mmm-hmm, and waking up with you in my arms.”

Lust gave his voice a lulling quality. Her eyelids drifted closed. “I didn’t come back here to rekindle our love.”

He shifted his hips, and the head of his cock slid along her cleft. His breath escaped in a slow hiss, and hers caught. Desire sparked. Her body went lax, moisture pooling low. He groaned and repeated the stroke, spreading her arousal over her lower lips. Another incredibly slow glide of his penis over her sex, and her womb clenched. She squirmed over him and fought the urge to impale herself.

“I hadn’t planned on it either.” He gripped her hips to stop her restless movements.

“I have a lot going on in my life.”

He brushed his lips over her neck. “Me too.”

“I live hours away.”

“I know.” He dragged his cock along the seam of her sex, parting her wet folds, until the head pushed at her opening. “At the moment, I don’t care about any of that.”

Her inner muscles squeezed and released, her body’s attempt to drag him inside. One tilt of her hips, and he’d breach her sex. She took a deep breath to settle her raging desire. It didn’t help. Kyle’s scent filled her lungs, pushing her lust higher.

She turned her head to look into his face. Big mistake. His heavy-lidded brown eyes and his slackened look of raw carnal need filled her vision. More arousal flowed to coat the length of his erection nestled between her lower lips.

She blinked and focused on his mouth. “What do you care about?”

“Making love to you. Right here, right now. No barrier between us. Just like we used to.” He licked his lips, first the lower one, then the upper. She followed the slow glide of his tongue with her gaze. “I’m safe, doll. Haven’t been with another woman in over a year and always used condoms whenever I bothered myself with one.”

She took in his features. A little rougher than the boy she’d known, with stubble covering his jaw, but he was still Kyle, the man she’d given her virginity to and the only one who’d ever found his release inside her. Hunger rose. She wanted to feel the hot rush of his seed along with the jerking of his cock.

“Me too. I’m safe. On birth control.” Her words rushed out.

His nostrils flared and mouth opened on a shaky exhale. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes, but this is sex. Do you understand? Not an invitation to start dating again.” She said the words as much for her benefit as his.

He didn’t respond. He tilted his hips and drove his cock inside her with a steady push that stole her breath and her sanity. She dropped her head against his chest.

“God, Ronnie.” He pressed his open mouth to her neck. “Feels good.”

She moaned, the only response she could manage with his thick penis lodged deep. He waited a moment more, then dragged his length back. A forward push parted her sensitive muscles and ignited her nerve endings. Another thrust and her core quivered. He pulled back before the sensation built and drove into her on a rough stroke. She shuddered, the thump of his cock reverberating through her womb.

“Tight, doll, but so wet.” He rolled his hips and groaned. “You’re strangling me. Fucking love it.”

“Kyle.” His name was all she could manage.

He slid his fingers over her lower belly and pushed the tip of his middle finger against her clit. Sparks danced from where he touched to her womb. Tingles skipped across her skin. Her breath rushed out.

“Again, Kyle. Do that again.”

“This?” He rubbed the hard bud. The callus on his fingertip added to the sensation building within her.

“Or like this?” He flicked her clit once, then twice more. Her body clenched over the rigid erection piercing her. He cursed while she moaned.

“Yes. That. Do that.”

More quick flicks, more shallow thrusts of his cock, and she hovered on the edge of paradise.

“Are you close, Ronnie?”

“Yes.” She barely managed to get the word out. Her world centered on the sensation of Kyle’s cock moving within her and the magic he created with the strokes of his finger.

“Too bad.” He pulled out and pushed her onto her back. “I’m not ready yet.”

He settled between her legs. The straight length of his erection glistened from her arousal. She focused on it and lifted her hips, offering herself to him. He didn’t push his thick shaft into her. He gripped it and used the head to tease her clit the way he had with his finger.

More arousal flowed. Her eyelids fluttered.

“Is that good too, doll?”

She nodded.

He rubbed the erect bud more. She writhed, adding to his stroking. Tingles skipped to her womb, and she tensed as the first hint of her orgasm danced up her core. He pushed her hips to the bed and eased his cock away from where she wanted it.

She whimpered. “Please, Kyle.”

“Do you want me to fill you up?”

She nodded as best she could with her body strung tight.

He pushed his erection into her, slowly…oh so slowly. Her muscles clenched and released over the length piercing her, but the steady drive didn’t push her over the edge. He made her ride it. Fully seated, the head of his cock kissed the mouth of her womb. They both groaned. The connection she’d never felt with another man flared to life.

Eyes closed, he hung his head and panted. She took in the sight of Kyle lost to passion and accepted the truth. She’d tossed him aside but had never let him go. A part of her still loved him, always had. That was why she’d never been able to commit to another guy.

What was she supposed to do with that knowledge? Their lives had gone in different directions. She’d forced them to forge their own paths by leaving. Sweet heaven, a decade had gone by. Nothing she did would erase the time apart or make up for the hurt she’d caused him.

Even if they did get back together, he’d always harbor the resentment. Blame her for screwing up the perfect life he’d planned for them.

Make her give up what she’d worked so hard to build.

“Valley boys never leave home. If you want to love one, then you’ll have to sacrifice everything. Is that what you want, Veronica? To toss away
our
legacy, the gallery…for a silly boy?”

Her mom’s words repeated in her head. Ronnie sucked in a rough breath, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her.

“Ronnie.” Kyle focused on her. Lust and possessiveness showed in his expression. “This is more than sex.”

She shook her head. “No, I—”

He lowered his head and kissed her, stopping her words. The strokes of his tongue matched the thrusts of his cock. He rocked into her. After a moment, she matched him and returned his passion. She couldn’t help it. The intimate dance they shared was one she remembered. Her body took up the rhythm without thought. She was helpless to resist him, so she gave him everything and let her regret and fears drift away. They’d return. Of that she had no doubt. She’d deal with them then.

The pressure built. His cock thickened. And his steady, full strokes shortened into quick, hard thrusts. He pounded into her, stimulating her and sending her body up in flames.

All she could do was accept him. Love him. And she did. She kissed him and matched his wild pace. With her hands fisted around the sheet, she raised her bottom and met his driving strokes. Their bodies smacked. Her pleasure spiraled. Ecstasy hovered within reach.

On a grunt, he rammed his cock deep and let go. The hot burst of his seed tipped her over. Paradise surrounded her, buoyed her up, and completed her. On and on, it went, and a lifetime of memories washed over her. Promises they’d made, secrets they shared, and dreams they swore to make into reality. She’d destroyed them all the day she’d walked away.

Tears pricked her eyelids, but the sadness couldn’t take root, not when her body hummed under Kyle’s skilled touch. She embraced the heaven he offered. Finally, the waves crashing over her slowed. The jerking of his cock eased. She returned to reality.

He buried his face against her neck. “I love you, Ronnie. Always have, always will.”

And that was what made everything worse.

She wrapped her arms around his head and held him close, but the words she felt in her heart wouldn’t come out. They’d sound shallow after what she’d done. Silence was easier, so that was what she gave him. She’d learned that from her mom too.

Chapter Seven

Kyle propped himself on his elbow and stared into Ronnie’s face. She’d fallen asleep in his arms after a second round of slow, sweet loving. He’d succeeded. He’d bet money on it. She regretted leaving him, if only for what they shared between the sheets. Her praise and touches were genuine, exactly as he remembered. The sadness in her eyes afterward, however, was something he’d never thought he’d see. He wanted to erase it if it was the last thing he did.

They needed to talk. So many things were left unsaid. He just couldn’t bring himself to broach the tough subjects, like why’d she’d left and what their future held. If they even had one. Logically, he knew it was too soon to tackle the latter question, but he knew it was the one that mattered most. The past couldn’t be changed. He hated it, but the truth remained the same.

Ten years. They’d wasted ten years of living together, loving together. He didn’t want to lose a single day more, but he didn’t know how to stop it. She had a life that didn’t include him or Sander’s Valley. He also didn’t think she’d believe him if he mentioned his gut feelings. Nonsense, she’d say.

And if he mentioned the curse? She’d laugh. Had laughed. He’d brought it up once after they’d watched some scary movie together at the drive-in. She’d ticked off all the reasons her ancestors had died.

Her grandfather had been killed in a drug deal gone bad. Her great-grandfather had been shot in the war. Her great-great grandmother had been beaten to death by her estranged husband. The relative before that had been kicked by a horse. None of those were connected to any silly curse, she’d said. Coincidence, nothing more.

Maybe she was right. Maybe not. Kyle only knew he refused to gamble with her life, not after last night. Not after realizing she still loved him. He’d seen it in her eyes. Felt it in her touch.

He wished he could change the past. Couldn’t, though. He only had control over the present.

He brushed a stray lock of hair from her face and went over his plan. Love her, worship her, and make her yearn for him. On top of that, she’d enjoyed spending her summers here with him. He’d remind her of it and pray the combination of him and home was enough to convince her to stay.

He kissed her small nose. She sighed, and he couldn’t help but smile. Awake, she left him aroused and edgy, but asleep, she was adorable.

“Ronnie, love.”

She wrinkled her nose but didn’t wake.

“Doll, it’s time to get up.”

“Kyle.”

His name whispered in her sleepy voice was the best damn thing he’d heard in a long time. He took her mouth on a slow kiss until she linked her arms around his neck. On a tug, she pulled him over her, spreading her legs and welcoming him inside. His cock slid along her damp cleft.

He would’ve enjoyed taking her again, loving her from the inside out, but they needed to get out of bed or they’d miss the first step in his plan. His mama didn’t hold dinner for anybody, not even the girl she’d once considered a part of the family.

He eased back and caught her gaze. “As much as I’d enjoy making love to you again, we’ve already spent most of the day in bed.”

She glanced at the clock. Her eyes widened. “Five. It’s already five.”

She pushed at his shoulder. He let her up but drew her against his chest before she could escape. “Yeah, and Mama’s expecting us for dinner at six.” Well, she was expecting him. Ronnie would be a surprise.

She tensed. “I can’t go to your parents’ house.”

Her reaction surprised him. He ran his hand over her mussed hair in an effort to calm her. “Why not? My mom loves you.”

She jerked her head to the side and gave him an incredulous look. “Sure, she
had
. That was before I dumped you. It wouldn’t surprise me if she lunged at me with a dinner fork now.”

“Nah, she understands.” He worked his jaw.
Hopefully.
“We were young.”

“But I don’t want to mislead her. I’d hate for her to think we’re getting back together.”

He twirled a lock of her hair and brought it to his nose. The scent of his shampoo filled his lungs. Familiar, much like the woman he held.

“Dinner, Ronnie. That’s all I’m asking for, not marriage.” He grabbed several bags from the floor and dropped them on the bed next to her. “I had Wyn stop at the store to get you some clothes. He guessed at sizes, so hopefully there’s something that’ll fit.”

She looked inside and pulled out a lacy, hot-pink bra. “There are enough clothes in here for a week.”

“Yeah, Wyn said it’ll be three or four days until he can get the part in to fix the Shelby.”

His brother had better go along with the ruse or fists would fly. Kyle hadn’t thought of the excuse until after Wyn had left. His brother had tossed the bags on the kitchen table, thrown his hands up in the air, and claimed he didn’t know what women liked so he’d gotten one of everything. Worked to Kyle’s advantage, even if it put a dent in his budget. As long as it kept Ronnie in his house longer, he’d live on mac and cheese for the next month.

“You need something to wear until then, right?”

The bra slipped from her fingers. “Little Wyn fixes cars?”

He chuckled. “
Little
Wyn is taller than me. He’s also twenty-five and head repairman at the automotive shop.”

“Levi and Jack are thirty, then.” Sadness clouded her eyes. “Do they still live in Sander’s Valley?”

“Of course.”

“Married?”

He snorted. “None of us are. It’s been a point of contention with Mama ever since you left me. She always said you were her only shot at grandbabies because the rest of her boys were pig-headed fools.”

She laughed, but it never reached her eyes. “I do miss your family. They made me feel as if I was a part of it.”

He knelt in front of her and took her hands in his. “You are.”

“Were. Past tense. I left, remember?”

“Why did you?” He regretted the words as soon as they’d left his mouth. Couldn’t take them back, however. He held his breath and waited on her answer.

She shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter anymore, does it?”

“Don’t I deserve to know what I did wrong?” So he didn’t do it again.

She leaned close and kissed his cheek. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Kyle. You were the perfect boyfriend. You just weren’t the man I wanted to marry.” She eased back and held his gaze. “I knew you’d gotten me a ring, so I left. I couldn’t bear telling you no.”

“You loved me.” It was lame, but it was all he had to say.

“Yes, I did.” She stood, grabbed the bags, and made her way to the bathroom. At the doorway, she stopped but didn’t face him. “I’m sorry for what I did. I should’ve told you, but I knew you’d seduce me and before I realized it, I’d be wearing your ring.”

The door closed, blocking her from him in more ways than one.

“You just weren’t the man I wanted to marry.”

He was screwed. He didn’t know how to be anyone else.

* * * *

Kyle drove slower than normal. He wanted to get a few more answers out of Ronnie before his family sequestered her.

“Tell me about the break-in.” He cut her a quick glance. She tensed. “Everybody will ask once they see those bruises, and I want to know the details first.”

“Armed robbery, just like I’d said.” She laid a hand on his thigh. “Don’t worry. The guy’s behind bars, and I have the security company redoing all of our alarm systems. It was an unfortunate one-off.”

Not where her family was concerned. He ground his jaw. “Tell me what happened. All the details.”

“Mom and I were working late.” She glanced at him from under her lashes. “We hadn’t bothered to lock up. Foolish, I know. You don’t know how many times I’ve thought about that night and wished I’d done something different.”

“You can’t beat yourself up over the what-ifs. It’s done.”

“I know. Regret doesn’t change anything.” Her gaze drifted over him before she stared at her hands fisted on her lap. “Anyway, my mom thought he was a customer, so she went to greet him. He shot her, then came after me.” She squeezed her eyes closed. “I hit him with a sculpture and called the cops.”

His chest tightened. He couldn’t drag in a damn breath. The sense of trepidation gripped him again. He shook his head to clear it. She’d survived, bruised but alive. He had no reason for the slithering chill turning his blood to ice.

“And the PI? What do you need one of those for?”

“That’s personal.” She sighed. “At the reading of my mom’s will, she’d left instructions for me to take stuff out to my dad.”

“You told me that already. What does a bunch of paintings have to do with you needing a PI?”

“Nothing.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth and worried the tender flesh. “She also said she’d left me a letter that would explain some scandal involving me she’d wanted to keep hidden.”

“Jesus.” There was only one scandal he could think of that would include Ronnie. “She cheated on your dad.”

She dipped her head—not a nod exactly, more of an expression of defeat. “Mom had several lovers over the years, the most famous being Gerald Volkov, a famous Russian artist who had ties to the Russian royalty.”

“Russian royalty?” A faint memory of a documentary he’d watched when he’d been snowed in during a blizzard surfaced. He cursed. “The family that was murdered?”

“Yes. That family. Gerald’s related to them distantly, from what I understand. Through a surviving sister or aunt, maybe?” She shrugged. “Not sure exactly. I never really cared.”

“I’m assuming he’s rich?”

She nodded. “Very. He also gifted my mom with several pieces of his collection before he died a couple of months ago. Very, very valuable pieces that his wife never knew about until his death.”

Great. This got better and better.

He took a deep breath to calm his anger. The more he learned about Ronnie’s mom, the less he liked her. “I’m guessing Gerald’s wife didn’t know he was sleeping with your mother.”

“Probably not, but she’d be naive if she didn’t suspect it now, especially since the pieces were either portraits of my mom or dedicated to her.”

“Hell, I’d say that’s a dead giveaway.”

She shrugged. “They were good friends. Mom advanced his career. Although she painted too, she always said her true gift to the art world was in exposing the general populace to beauty, and, well…” She toyed with the edge of her shirt. “Gerald was truly an amazing painter. Probably better than my dad ever was, but I hate even thinking that, let alone saying it.”

“Are you sure your mom and Gerald were lovers?”

“I know they were.” Her shoulders slumped. “I caught them in a suggestive situation once, and he always stayed a few days at the mansion whenever he came to the States, which was at least every couple of months. It was none of my business, my mom told me once, so I pretended I didn’t know about her little affair. It was easy. I stayed in a separate wing and rarely saw her anyway.”

“Do you think he’s your real dad?”

She snorted. “No clue. Like I said, my mom was friendly with lots of people, but I think he’s the one she cared about the most. I’ll find out as soon as the PI locates the mysterious letter. Mom didn’t mention where she’d put it, only that it was in storage. I have the PI doing my legwork. Mom had tons of rented units scattered across the country.”

“Why put it in a storage unit? That doesn’t seem very secure.”

“Mom liked to do stuff like that. Make people things, write them letters, and put everything into storage without giving it to them. She’d said it was her way of purging herself of bad vibes that messed with her art. How much they hurt her determined the distance away she stashed them.”

He linked his fingers with hers. “It’s a little late, but whatever you need, I’ll be there for you.”

She mapped his face with her gaze. “I know that. That’s why I was so evasive yesterday. You’d put my problems before your own, even if you were married to someone else. That’s not right.”

“You don’t know that.”

She tilted her head. “Am I wrong?”

No, she wasn’t wrong. “It doesn’t matter now, does it? I’m not married.” He shrugged. “So you need me. I’m there.”

She pulled her hand away and dropped her clenched fists in her lap. “Don’t you think that’ll be a little hard? We do live over five hours apart.”

“I have a car and a cell phone.” He cut her a quick glance. “For you, I’ll drop everything.”

“That’d be a little irresponsible. You own a business.”

He curled his fingers, hating that Ronnie would assume his company…hell, anything would be more important than her. “It’s been slow lately. Economy hasn’t been good in the county. Not many people are remodeling. The couple of guys who help me out part-time can handle things.”

Silence stretched.

He inwardly cursed. Why hadn’t he kept his mouth shut? He might as well admit he was months away from foreclosure.

He glanced at her for a clue as to why she didn’t respond. Was it his poor finances that put that sullen look on her face or something else? He couldn’t tell, but the way she stared at her hands and nibbled on her bottom lip tightened his shoulders. Something he’d done had obviously upset her, and Ronnie had a habit of keeping whatever was bothering her close. At least until she reached her limit. Then she ran.