Riding Bitch (15 page)

Home. He loved hearing that word come out of her mouth. Home, as in where they lived—together.

“Let’s not,” he responded, even though the thought of being there with her was enticing. The need to take her here was stronger. He crossed to the side of the bike that faced away from the road. There was hardly any traffic, and the chance they might get caught was slim.

Still, it would keep her, and him, on edge, which would add to the excitement.

“Take your pants down.” He watched her inhale sharply, her eyes widening with anticipation. “Don’t make me ask again, babe, or I might see if I can find something nearby to tie you up.”

Her hands went to her waistband, but part of him thought he saw something in her eyes that said she’d be open to that suggestion…again. But not right now. He wanted her hands free this time.

Despite her protests, she quickly took down her pants and her panties. She sat on the edge of the bike. He knelt before her and then worked her pants down to her ankles.

“As wide as you can, babe.” She spread her legs, and Ash wasted no time. He knew this would have to be a quickie, and he wanted her to come hard and fast. He went for the clit first, capturing it between his teeth. He used the tip of his tongue to stimulate her, rolling it back and forth over the caged nub.

When her murmurs turned to an audible sigh and a breathy “That feels so good,” he went in for the kill. He let go of her clit for a split second before he sucked it back between his teeth and pressed down harder.

She came instantly; he could tell from the way her body tensed, from the way she grabbed hold of his hair and pulled his head toward her as if she could force him to take her deeper.

When her shudders subsided, he looked up at her. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly open.

“More,” she said, and he obliged. This time he went slowly, running his tongue up and down her sweet, soft flesh. As much as he loved tying her up and spanking her, he adored this too. She tasted like the sweetest of honey, and he wanted to keep the taste in his mouth forever.

He savored her with his tongue for a few more minutes before he used his fingers to work her into a frenzy, her hips bucking against him as she came again. He licked her clit after she’d exploded, relishing her sighs.

Ash knew he hadn’t really concentrated on their surroundings. For all he knew a person could have driven up, noticed what was happening, and left. But really, he didn’t care. All he knew was that his sweet Fee was calmer again, after the horrible revelations she’d heard that day.

“Take me home,” she whispered.

He stood, gathered her in his arms, and held her close, wishing he could take away every last bit of pain he knew was still inside her.

“I love you,” he said. He was pretty sure her muffled response repeated his words.

It was music to his ears each time he heard it.

* * * *

Felicia plopped her packages on the kitchen table before she dropped into a chair. Arguing with people made her tired, and right now, she was exhausted.

With three days left before the nuptials, there was still so much to do. Part of her wished they’d gone ahead and done it Monday, and done it quickly without any sort of pomp.

The scratching of feet on the floor made her look down. Rock sat beside her; he had his paw in the air, and she took it and squeezed. He barked to return the greeting.

She patted Rock’s head as the door opened behind her and footsteps sounded. “How are you?” Ash touched her shoulder, and she turned her head to look up at him. He leaned over to pet Rock, who barked in return.

“Frustrated. We should have gone to Vegas.”

“It will be worth it.” He grabbed the chair across from her and set it down in front of her. When he was seated, he took her hands. “What was on the agenda for today?”

She sighed. “After my doctor’s appointment, we went to the dress store, where I was fitted for the last time.”

“How does it look?”

“Perfect.” Felicia had been unable to believe her luck at finding the dress. When she’d told a clerk at a wedding shop what she wanted, the woman had suggested an antique store.

They’d found the dress—an ankle-length satin creation with lace overlay from the nineteen twenties—in the first store they’d hit. The bodice was scoop-necked, and the back had a deep V that ran to her waist. The veil was floor-length, and she’d asked the florist to construct a crown of daisies to hold it in place.

It had the elegant yet simple feel she wanted, of a love that lasted through the ages. The best part was it only needed to be hemmed a little. It was as if the dress had been made with her in mind.

“Do I get more of a hint?”

“Nope.”

She loved the mock frown he gave her. “Fine. What next?”

“We went to the caterers, where my mother got angry because your mother had already called them and made decisions about the food without us. Your mother informed her that they’d decided she, your mother, would handle the food. My mother said—”

Ash held up his hand. “I get it. Loud argument. Solved?”

“Yes.” She didn’t want to tell him it hadn’t been easy, and watching their mothers fight hadn’t been fun. When she’d apologized to the food provider, the woman had waved her hand and said,
“I’ve seen it all before. Don’t worry.”

“Good. Next?”

“We visited the florist, where my mother told me I wasn’t ordering enough. She’s under the impression the small bouquet of daisies I want to carry needs to be a huge bunch of roses. The daisies are perfect for the dress, though.”

His questioning look made her laugh. “And no, you can’t see the dress until Friday.”

He sat back. “Yeah, that makes sense, because we’re being so traditional about everything else.”

“If that’s the way you want to be”—she glared at him—“what about the rings?”

“What about them?” His face was impassive.

“You said you had it handled, yet you haven’t set foot off this property—except for bike rides in the evening—since the art opening.”

“I’ve got it handled.”

She wanted to throttle him. The smug look on his face just added to the frustrations of the day.

“Tell you what,” she said, knowing she shouldn’t. “You show me yours, and I’ll show you mine. Dress for rings.”

For a minute, she thought he might agree. But then he shook his head. “I want surprises, for both of us. What did the doctor say?”

“I’m officially on the pill. Took my first one this morning. But he said we needed to be careful and use condoms for the first month or two. When I told him that we didn’t want to anymore, he gave me a cervical cap. I just have to put it in before we make love, so it cuts down on spontaneity a little.”

“Go put it in.”

“Now?” Not waiting for an answer, Felicia stood and started to rummage through her packages. She found the one from the drugstore.

“Damn straight.” He slapped her ass. “Hurry up.”

“So bossy,” she said as she hurried away from the kitchen. But as she reached the bathroom, she realized that this was the first time she’d had to worry about birth control since they’d reconnected. It had been Ash who had hunted down condoms on their first night together. He was the one who had to remember to put one on each time they made love.

But not anymore. Now they could be together, skin to skin, as they’d always wanted to be. No more latex between them.

When she came out of the bathroom, she found him sitting near the top of the bed, already naked. He was hard, and the sight made her mouth water.

“Why are you still dressed?” he asked.

“Because…” She let her voice trail off. She wasn’t sure. It had just seemed natural to pull her pants back up after she’d been on the toilet. “I got nothing. I have no clue.”

“Then strip, woman, and hurry up.”

“Once again, you’re bossy. We need to work on that.” As she spoke, she made fast work of taking off her clothes, letting them fall where they would, not caring about the mess. When she was naked, he asked her to sit across from him.

“I have something I want to show you.”

She smiled. “I think I can see what you’ve got.” She lightly ran her finger up and down his shaft. “And I like it.”

“Mind your hands, lady. This is important business.”

“Yes, it is.” She wrapped her fingers around him. “Whatever you have to show me can wait until later.”

Ash picked up a small wooden jewelry box from the bed. “No, it can’t. I was going to wait until Friday to show you these, but I decided they were too personal to share with everyone else. I wanted us to be alone the first time you see what’s inside here.” He gently moved her hand away from his cock and placed the box in her palm. “Open it.”

The hinge creaked a little as she lifted it. When she saw what was inside, her eyes misted.

“I made them at the same time I made that jewelry box for you.”

Felicia was pretty sure she should say something profound. Instead, all she could do was cry. He wiped tears from her cheeks as she stared down at the two perfect silver circles. There were expertly cut squares of turquoise, coral, and malachite set in each one.

“I kept them all these years, because they kept me close to you.” He touched her hand gently. “I’d always hoped we’d wear them one day, when the time was right. My wish has now come true.”

“They’re perfect,” she managed to say through her sniffles. She wanted to tell him about the dress now, and she said so. But he put his finger to her lips.

“Let’s keep one secret. I want to see it for the first time when you walk down the aisle.”

She cradled the box in her hand. “What if it doesn’t fit?”

“It does. I slipped it on you the other night while you slept, and you never knew.”

“After you’d worn me out?” She grinned. “You know, it’s men who are supposed to pass out after sex, not women. What’s your secret to staying awake?”

“It’s because I love watching you sleep. Especially with a satisfied look on your face.”

He took the box from her. After he’d closed the lid, he put it on the nightstand. “And with that in mind… Come here, future Mrs. Chee.” He stretched his legs out in front of him and propped his back against the headboard. “Climb on.”

Felicia straddled him and placed her hands on the headboard to lever herself. He wrapped his arms around her and smacked her ass. When she arched her back, he lowered his head and captured a nipple in his mouth.

Heat rushed through her body. When his mouth was on her, or hers on him, she always felt as if they were more connected than they ever could be. She wondered at times if it was because of their beginnings, because that was how so much of their time together was spent, kissing and licking and tasting each other.

She moved her hands to his head as he continued to suck, and she wished that they’d taken his hair down so she could run her fingers through it. She closed her eyes and imagined she was doing that.

When Ash trailed his finger along her spine, she arched again, this time grabbing his shoulders to steady herself.

“I want to be inside you,” he said.

She wanted to be looking up at him when he was inside her, naked, for the first time. She moved off him, lying down next to where he sat.

“Then take me,” she said, hoping it sounded seductive and not as strange as she thought it had come out.

He moved above her, his hands on either side of her head. As he stared down, she couldn’t help but think about the first time they’d been together, how scared she’d been, but knowing that she could never give the precious gift of her virginity to anyone but Ash.

She felt the same way right now. For the first time in her life, a man would be inside her without any sort of protection. It was only right that it should be Ash.

Felicia cupped his cheek. Their gazes met, and she felt as if she could see inside his soul, feel the spiritual Ash as well as the physical one.

“I love you.” She groaned as he pushed into her, the heat of his body soaking into hers. “Ash.”

When he’d filled her completely, he remained still, their gazes locked together.

“Fee, I love you more than anything, and I thank the fates that brought us back together. Friday, when we have our hands washed and eat corn together and then say the words, everyone will know.”

He stayed inside her, and she savored the feel of him. Her future husband, the only man she had ever loved.

And then he started to move, so very slowly, almost tortuously at first. The need built inside her as he quickened his pace. He placed his entire body over hers, and then she wrapped her legs around his waist. His heavy breathing made her heart rate increase. She hugged his shoulders and shuddered as his cock hit that secret place inside her.

He struck it again and again, and Felicia came, tightening around his shaft. She felt him pulse inside her, and she took all he had to offer. He completed, and when he moved next to her, she wanted to cry for him to come back, to fill her again.

They lay together in silence, until he turned onto his side and placed a kiss on her shoulder. “I can’t wait until you’re my wife,” he said. “It has been a long time coming.”

Felicia turned toward him. “I’m afraid it’s not going to be the little affair we had planned. Your mother has invited half of Santa Fe.”

“Good. That means more people to see how much I love you.”

“You mean how much we love each other,” she corrected.

“Everyone will know what you and I have always known.”

Yes, they would, Felicia thought. She finally had the man she loved, and she intended to keep him.

Forever.