Second Chances (8 page)

With a quick shake of his head, he grabbed her questing hands.  He’d explode if she continued with her sexual ministrations. 

"Slow down, baby."

"Don’t wanna.  Need you."

"You’ll have me.  Let me love you."  He whispered.

Lifting her hands to his lips he planted a kiss in the each palm before he slid one arm under her knees, the other around her shoulders and lifted her, sweeping her into his arms and walked toward the enormous bed.  It dominated nearly the entire hotel suite. Covered with a black velvet spread, it was decadent and plush and over-the-top and Rose had loved it on sight when they’d checked in earlier in the afternoon. 

He lowered her onto her back.  His body followed, covering hers from chest to toes.  The back of his hand brushed against the texture of the velvet spread, soft beneath her supine form, but it couldn’t hold a candle to the silken texture of her skin. 

Cuffing both of her hands in his, he stretched her arms above her head, holding her in place as he ran his lips along the curve of her jaw line, licking down the line of her neck instinctively going to the place between her shoulder to behind the bottom edge of her ear. 

"Ryan . . ."  Her sharp gasp of indrawn breath made him smile. He loved the little noises she made when need spiraled within her, the way her body writhed beneath him in pleasure with every nibble and long lick as he stroked and tasted her sweetness.   The salty sweet taste of his woman never failed to drive his desire higher and higher, unique and spicy with an underlying hint of honey. 

The special fragrance that was hers and hers alone filled his senses.  Vanilla and jasmine and woman, a potent combination.  No manufactured perfume could match her scent.

She bucked beneath squirming against the mattress, arching upward as his lips trailed across the mound of her breast, and he caught the edge of her bra in his teeth before pulling it down beneath the nipple.  Its fullness thrust upward toward his questing tongue.  He swirled and suckled, lapping at the pointed nubbin of exposed flesh, watched it harden with desire, its rosy hue darkening.  Her whimpering moan beneath him evidence her body enjoyed the ministrations of his lips and teeth. 

"Now!" 

"Shh, baby."  Ryan whispered against her skin.  "Let me take care of you." 
How could I love this woman any more?  I’d die without her. 

With his free hand, his fingers unsnapped the front closure of the scrap of lacy fabric, sliding it down her arms and he tossed it over his shoulder, exposing both breasts to his questing hand and lips.  Her body jolted and rocked under his as he kissed his way downward.  Releasing her hands with an admonition to keep them above her head his fingers trailed across her stomach and his head rose to look at the perfect petals of the rose tattoo on her hip.  He remembered the day she’d had it done as a surprise for him.  Remembered, too, the wild passionate night they’d spent afterward, celebrating her newly acquired decoration. 

Thumbs hooked in the edges of the thong riding low on her hips.   A forceful tug tore the tiny scrap of fabric from her, revealed her completely nude form to his hungry gaze. 
Had he ever seen a more beautiful site?
  To him, no one else compared. 

Long red-gold hair spread across the pillow as she undulated beneath him, her back arching off the mattress.  His fingertips lightly brushed against her thighs and she opened for him, spreading like her namesake flower.  The back of his fingers slid along the exposed flesh of her inner thighs, massaged gently downward yet never touched where he most wanted to touch, savoring the moment and prolonging her excitement.  The musky scent of her arousal perfumed the air, hardening him to the point of exploding.  He steeled himself, forcing himself to go slower, make this last.  Make it special.  Make it the most memorable moment in her life.  

 His hands encircled her ankles, pulled them upward until her knees bent, legs spread wide.  Moving upward, he leaned in, inhaled the scent of her arousal.  She was wet, ready for him, yet he still hesitated, wanting—needing—to prolong the pleasure.  He wished it were possible to freeze time, make this moment last forever.  There was a tightness in his chest as if his heart, his very life, was being ripped asunder and he realized it could never be.  He only had this one night, this one last chance to make memories to last for all eternity. 

Gently he stroked one finger through the dampness of her folds, the heat and creamy wetness nearly his undoing.  A brief flick of her clit with his thumb before he pulled her slick folds apart and blew a warm breath softly against her heated flesh.  A muffled scream sounded from above him.  He chuckled, the vibrations of his laugh eliciting yet another moan.  He planned to be thorough; she was a screamer and he meant to hear his name yelled before the evening was over. 

A long slow lick of his tongue rasped against her before he grasped her clit gently between his teeth and gave a soft tug.  He inhaled again, the intoxicating scent of her desire going to his head like fine whiskey.  It shot a bolt of lust straight to his gut and his balls tightened, pulling up close. 
I’m not going to last long.

One finger eased slowly into her narrow opening and he felt her muscles contract around it, squeezing.  Pulling back he added a second finger to the first, coated them with her wetness. 
So tight.
  Pumping in and out, he worked his fingers in just the way he knew she loved, curled upward to hit her sweet spot.   Her legs tightened around him and he placed his shoulders firmly between her thighs, kept her splayed open for him. 

He felt her muscles constrict and flutter around him, squeezing down on his pumping fingers, heard her breathing coming faster and knew she was close, but still he plunged his fingers into her, stroking, driving her nearer and nearer the edge. 
If this was to be their last night together, he’d make it one she’d never forget. 

Ryan shook his head, dazed.  Where had that thought come from?  Didn’t matter, all that mattered was his wife and worshiping her, showing her the depths of his love.

Rose lowered her hands, no longer above her head but at her sides, fisted in the black coverlet and she pounded against the bed as she struggled against the orgasm building inside her.   The sensations were too strong, overwhelming her senses.  Awash in the pleasure Ryan’s hands and mouth brought, her muscles tightened around the fingers thrusting inside her.   Her body bucked wildly beneath the man she loved.  Had loved since the day they met and would love until the end of the world. 

She couldn’t contain the cry of protest escaping her lips as his fingers pulled from inside her, leaving her feeling empty.  The feeling lasted only seconds as he moved up her body, kissing his way up her stomach, his tongue and lips burning a path to her breasts as he positioned himself at her entrance.  She read the question in his eyes. 

"Slow and easy?  Or fast and furious?  Choose, my love."   

Her wordless answer was a thrust of her hips forward, seating him to the hilt as she wrapped her legs around his waist, locked her ankles behind his thrusting hips.  It was as if she had no control, watched from some distant place.

She ground her pelvis against him, rubbed her clit against him as he rocked forward, surging in with a force that left her breathless.  Muscles clenching, she squeezed as he pulled back nearly all the way out before slamming back again, the sound of flesh meeting flesh, the increased crescendo of their breathing as her orgasm built again.   Muscles clasped and she made a swirling motion of her pelvis, bucking wildly against him, undulating her hips, moving together in a timeless synchronized dance.

Stars burst in her vision and she leaned forward, captured his mouth with hers as wave after wave of pleasure rode through her.  Time suspended as her orgasm shattered what little controlled she’d held, splintering her into a million pieces.  Within moments she felt his body stiffen, his own climax pulsing into her.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, burrowed her face in his shoulder and held on, riding the summit of a mind-blowing rapture unlike anything she’d felt before. 

Brushing the hair out of her face, Rose lay back against Ryan’s chest, her breathing finally slowing in the aftermath of their lovemaking.  Ryan’s back lay propped up against the padded black headboard of the king size bed where they’d made love.  It wasn’t just sex; it was so much more.  Snuggling down against him, she splayed her fingers across his chest and flung one leg across his, needing to be as close as her next breath. 

Heartbeats slowed.  The sweat dried on both their bodies before she noted the temperature in the room dip dramatically.  Watching Ryan’s face, she saw a satisfied smile cross his lips before he opened his eyes.  He wrapped his arm around her, pulled her close against him, letting her snuggle.  Pulling the rumpled bedding from beneath them, Ryan spread the sheet and velvet spread across them both. 

Her fingers tangled in the line of dark hair sprinkled across his chest, leading down his firm muscled stomach to arrow toward his groin.  This was part of the loving for her, the closeness after the lovemaking, the silent communion of shared hearts. 

When he’d agreed to come to the mountain lodge, the place his brother and sister-in-law had spent their honeymoon two years before, she’d been apprehensive at first.  They’d been killed by a driver who’d plowed into them going a hundred miles an hour on ice-coated roads.   The driver of the car was killed along with Terry and Sharon, the two people they both loved—killed instantly, right at the beginning of their lives together. 

She loved Ryan, so if this was where he needed to be, so be it.  They’d come and maybe he’d get a little closure, a little peace with his loss. 

When they’d arrived and checked in earlier that afternoon, they’d gone their separate ways.  Pampered and treated like a queen, she’d spent the afternoon at the spa while Ryan went for a long walk outdoors in the newly fallen snow.  He’d seemed different when he’d returned.  Whatever happened while he’d been out communing with nature had done him a world of good.  More like the Ryan she knew and loved. 

Later they’d dressed and gone to dinner at the lodge’s main restaurant.  A lovely meal, a bottle of champagne, and dancing.  The perfect romantic evening, even if she couldn’t drink the champagne because of the baby.  Everything felt right, like those first days of their marriage all over again.  

While they were dining he’d asked her to do something unbelievable.  No, make that impossible.  Unrealistic.  Looking deeply into the depths of his honey-amber gaze, seeing the seriousness of his suggestion, she hadn’t hesitated.  How could she?  If there was a chance in a million to get back the Ryan she’d fallen in love with, she was willing to do anything.  Whatever he wanted, if it would bring him respite from the grief he’d felt since his brother’s death, if it was within her power, consider it done. 

"I love you.  You know that, don’t you?"  His quietly uttered words stole her breath, focused her back on the here and now.

"I love you, too.  Until the end of time and beyond.  I will always love you."  She returned his words, a warm glow encompassing her as she snuggled closer.  The only sounds in the room were their breaths and the crackling of the logs in the fireplace. 

Lifting her eyes to his, she noted Ryan no longer looked at her but at the foot of the giant bed.  Following his gaze, she raised a hand to stifle her scream at the two figures standing just beyond it.  They were hazy but distinguishable; one male, one female.  The forms coalesced and came into sharper focus as she watched until she recognized them.  Ryan’s brother Terry and his wife Sharon stood in their room.  Although stood wasn’t exactly the right word—floated better fit the bill. 
Oh my goodness, we really did it!
 

Ryan’s deep voice filled the silence.  "Was it everything you wanted, bro?"  Terry’s vision nodded, a smile curving his translucent lips.  His arm encircled his wife, and Rose watched Sharon slide her arm around Terry’s waist and lay her head on his shoulder. 

Rose hadn’t believed it possible when Ryan asked her to let his brother and his wife possess their bodies for the night.  The thought was preposterous. . .wasn’t it?  He’d told her about the dream he’d been having for the last several months.  How his brother had come and asked him, begged him, for one last chance to make love to his wife.  Their time had been too short, done before they’d even finished their honeymoon.  They never got to move into the new home they’d purchased right before their wedding.  Never got to have kids.  In the blink of an eye their whole world, their reality changed.  Terry said this could be done, had to be done, on the anniversary of their death.  But only if both parties were open and willing to take the chance. 

And the magic had worked!
 

Looking at her husband, Rose read the peace and contentment filling his expression and knew she’d do it again a hundred times, just to see him happy. 

"We love you both."  Ryan’s voice jolted her back into the present.  "Are you happy?" 

Terry and Sharon both nodded in response to his question. 

"Thank you, Rosie Posey."  Terry’s voice sounded faintly in her ears, although Rose somehow knew the words weren’t actually said aloud.   The nickname Terry always called her, laughing when she blushed every single time, had the breath catch in the back of her throat.  Tears burned her eyes as she fought to keep them from falling. 

Rose tugged on the dark hair beneath her fingers, getting her husband’s attention before whispering in his ear.  Sharing her joy she told him about the special gift they’d be receiving in approximately seven and a half months, their child.  His eyes glinted with his own unshed tears at her soft words, his hand gently lowered, resting with fingers splayed against her abdomen.  The wonderment in the smile that lit his face made everything they’d done worth it. 

Leaning forward she whispered a question in his ear, knowing deep in her heart it was the right thing. 

"Are you sure?"  He repeated the words he’d asked her earlier, before they’d made love and shared this magical evening.